Would it be a luxury if one asked why we continue to lack specialized institutions to monitor public opinion and assess people’s views on major issues of concern to society?
In most societies, the views expressed by members of the public are highly valued and because of this, decision-makers rely on the outcome of opinion polls. Indeed they are thoroughly analyzed before any action is taken.
Let us consider two different cases that should have been subjected to an opinion poll before a final decision was made. People naturally view things differently and some will support while others will oppose. The two issues are the decision to teach English in elementary schools and the introduction of mandatory insurance for all vehicles. The decision to teach English has been indefinitely deferred for reasons that we all know. The introduction of mandatory insurance will come into effect during the last week of November. If there had been any attempt to discover public opinion on teaching English before the decision was issued, we would have been spared the trouble of having to change the plan. The postponement followed a heated debate in the press with varying opinions expressed. In my view, the idea was a step in the right direction and would have opened new horizons for our students. In the absence of a mechanism to monitor public opinion, however, the decision was subjected to discussion only after a date for implementing it had been fixed.
I would like now to see an initiative to allow people to express their views on the subject of mandatory insurance before the decision comes into effect. This would allow decision-makers to respond to any opposition while this is already increasing. It is obvious the campaign against this plan will not be less fierce than the one concerning English teaching. Mandatory insurance will no doubt help reduce the colossal losses caused by road accidents. Our newspapers should take the initiative and organize opinion polls to monitor people’s reactions to important issues until the time when we have our own specialized independent institutions for doing so.
12 October 2002
