Last Saturday I thought to myself: Well, for the first time in a long time, I have no idea what my next column will be. As per norm, on Sunday I completed my exercise and other responsibilities, then I sat down to read something that makes my mind tick. Ten minutes passed and the potential subject came to mind. Then just a few minutes after, I spotted something in the distance that crystalised the point of this column.

Down by Watford Bridge I noticed a man and a young girl fishing. Now, the young girl (looks about seven years old) wasn’t sitting off to the side, legs-crossed and twiddling her thumbs while her father (I presume) enjoyed his hobby. Instead, the daughter was standing right next to him ready for action.

A minute or two passed, then he handed the fishing rod to his daughter so that he could grab something from the bucket. Interestingly, he didn’t grab the rod back. Instead, it looked like he baited the hook then motioned for her how she should move the rod in favour of the strong southeast winds so that the cast was most effective.

Unfortunately, most fathers appear to prefer to spend their Sunday afternoon doing something else. Perhaps it’s spending time with their mates or watching sports of some kind. Others, like this father, prefer to spend time with their children, perhaps doing something like showing them how to fish. With all of the madness that’s going on in the world, this father is doing the thing that really matters.

Parents are given the choice to do the thing that really matters all the time. For example, at the end of the last school year both my sons received assessments that recommended extra effort in mathematics and literacy. And, as was the case last year, their school provided them with a summer’s worth of schoolwork.

In total there were 20 math tests and multiple literacy assignments.

Here lies the choice. It’s summer, which is a time for children (and adults!) to have as much fun as they’re allowed. So do I find the necessary time to focus on my sons’ education, or do I let them do as they please? What should I do if I was working past 11pm the night before? Do I choose to take them for a relaxing swim and snowballs, or should I spend a couple of challenging hours trying to explain how to solve 5/8 of 64?

The answer to these questions is driven by the kind of future I want my sons to have. And what I want most is for them to be empowered to make decisions about how they want to live their lives. That is, I don’t want a poor education to limit their future options, which is precisely what will happen if I fail to give them the parental support that they need with their school work.

My concerns are further amplified when I consider the degree of social inequality that I believe exists today. Yes, I have fears about the degree of discrimination they may encounter as Bermudian men of colour. Therefore, making sure that they are well equipped feels that much more important to me.

To make matters worse there is no shortage of political distractions. It seems like every week someone is warning us of some grave injustice or giving us some reason to protest. The cynics among us will have us believing that time stopped in 1958. But what does all that fear mongering amount to if I’m not doing the thing that really matters with my sons’ education? And doesn’t an unjust society demand even more of parents?

With all things considered, this summer had to be a great deal different from the last. The time that would normally be spent at the beach, on a bike or at a park, was drastically reduced because of the hours required to learn the concepts needed to master the 20 math tests. Applications like Splash Math were used daily. Websites like Khan Academy were used frequently in an attempt to increase understanding. Thirty minutes of reading was required at the start of a Saturday or Sunday before play was allowed. Art and literacy projects were based on the fun activities from the day before.

Overall it was a group effort, and everyone directly involved in the boys’ lives spent multiple hours working on reading, writing, arithmetic and basic algebra. If there is one thing we all agree on, it’s that education will have the most profound impact on their future.

Should my fears of discrimination and injustice be completely unwarranted, it’s extremely obvious that this highly competitive global economy is incredibly demanding regardless of the colour of your skin, gender, sexual orientation or nationality. Consequently, no matter how much the world is set against them, the thing that really matters most is that we support their learning and development.

E-mail: bryanttrew@mac.com