Opinion: “Slash And Burn” Of Public Education
[Opinion column written by Chris Famous]
“In a successful economy, there are many essential jobs that Bermudians should rightly occupy with proper training and education.It is the responsibility of Government to help prepare Bermudians to take advantage of these opportunities.” OBA Jobs & Economic Turnaround Plan.
Slash and Burn
Let’s review how the Department of Education will be impacted by the recently tabled 2014/15 Budget:-
- Funds slated for Education was reduced by $6.1m year-over-year, the second largest cut amongst all ministries
- Spending for Literacy Initiative cut 50% from $508k to $254k
- Paraprofessionals funds slashed 34% from $5.8m to $3.8m
- Education Standards funding has declined 14% from $1.4m to $1.2m
- Financing for total scholarship awards fell 25% from $1.25m to $1m. This cut represents a 50% decline from 2011/12
- Further Education Awards were cut by 83% from $240k to $40k
Head 17: Department of Education
Current Account Estimates : Expenditure
Spending Spree
OBA has slashed funding for both public education and financing for further studies yet the OBA has zero problem spending our tax dollars on the following:
- $240,000 for 2 persons to produce press statements for Premier Cannonier
- $180,000 on traveling expenses for Premier Cannonier
- $167,000 on traveling expenses for Minister Crockwell
- $50,000 for two ministers to travel to Singapore
- $5,067,000 in total travel expenses
- $20,000,000 in hotel tax concessions
Globalized Economy
In an ever changing global market, we need to be constantly instilling in our students to take advantage of educational opportunities. Industries are evolving to be more technologically driven. If we are to successfully compete with the outside world, we need highly-educated Bermudians.
However, it is apparent that this is not a priority for the OBA. With each budget, less and less funding is being directed to ensuring our public school students have equal access to opportunities.
Failure to invest in our students today will equate to a widening of class divisions based not only on race but on education and employment abilities as well.
Next in the Education Series, I will address the lack of a dedicated Education Minister, and Permanent Secretary.
Buckle up Bermuda,class is in session.
- Chris Famous
Question, how many company scholarships were left unclaimed over the past years.
Our education system is too top heavy… No government has the courage to restructure the education system.
No Claudio, your government just increased the size of the Department of Education, I been informed by a reliable source. Education will not turn around, until we have “All hands on deck in the classroom, not in the board room.” The real change takes place in the schools, and all monies and personnel should be put there, not at the Ministry to hold up the walls.
We are going backwards, and so far this recent change had not nothing if little to change Education in the right direction. Very few seem to be focus on the details of Education. Most think they put a Commissioner there, so all is well. REALLY.
I wonder if there is a real serious aim to improve education for our children. It seems to be a race to whom would achieve what job at the Department of Education, rather than how to improve learning and teaching. I am beginning to lose hope for Education in Bermuda… it is our lower income students whom will end up suffering…that’s the sad part to this.
Betty Trump.. What do you mean ‘my Government’. Do you know what party I support?
Based on your comment I assume that you are in agreement that the system is too top heavy. I don’t understand how we can have all these top administrators in the Ministry after all these years and continue to have menial results.
And for the record, I don’t think the public school system is as bad as some people make it out to be.
If anything, parents play as much as a role in education as teachers. However in Bermuda we love to point our fingers at everyone else.
Thanks Claudio, I agree with you, it is too too top heavy. This government has just increased it more. Why do we seldom value our own people? We tend to always believe that overseas is best, these folks often has little invested interest in our children, they make their monies, and next gone…. REALLY
Betty Your Government failed miserably. I cant remember the exact figure but I believe we spent 2x more to educate a child in a gov school that what is spent in private school with pitiful results.
Not quite twice – last time I looked (couple of years back) it was about one and a half times.
And that sort of differential can’t be justified by the claim that the public schools have the problem students and private schools don’t.
There are more civil servants working for the DoE than there are teachers! Totally top heavy!
Famous, any idea where that $800m is that went missing during the PLP days? Your efforts would be much more appreciated if you directed your energy in that direction!
You must be full retarded, the OBA is the Government and if 800mil went missing do you not think that Bob Richards would have no doubt found that, you cant even hide a dollar or a few cents gone missing …how the hell can you take 800 mil and it not be traced….by God your stupid smdfh
Go to page 8. Enjoy!
http://www.gov.bm/portal/erver.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_1414_235_352_43/http%3B/ptpublisher.gov.bm%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/non_ministerial/auditor_general/dept___auditor_general___annual__reports/articles/2005_report_3.pdf
If $800,000,000 went missing in 2006, where are the police investigations into these … what crimes were reported, what investigations were undertaken, who were the suspects and where are the papers?
How does a Government of a small island ‘lose $800,000,000. What message does this send to those who thought of Bermuda as a safe financial haven
Like i said you are a moron if you believe that 800 mil went missing…smdh that would mean that both the PLP and the UBP/OBA are the dumbest group of political leaders on the planet …….thank God people like you Justin is not in politics,
http://www.bermuda.org.uk/larry_dennis.htm BERMUDA POLICE.COM…………..^^^ENJOY THAT lol
LOL! The questions you are asking now are the questions we were asking back then you retard. You are very ignorant to still not believe $800m went missing when the Auditor General at the time said $800m was unaccounted for.
Here is an interesting blog for you to read over the weekend. If it doesn’t soak in after a good read then there is no hope for this island if people who think like you are the majority of voters.
http://concernedbermudians.blogspot.co.uk/
Did you forget when the Government of the day DIRECTED the Police to LOCK UP the Auditor General for one night…..WITH NO CHARGES BEING FILED…. but enough time to REMOVE files from his offices!
That was not POLITICAL MOTIVATED…. was it?
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Bermuda_Housing_Corporation_Scandal
“…In 2006 Bermuda’s Auditor General, Larry Denis, published his report which highlighted the ‘disappearance’ (inability to account for) $800,000,000 (eight hundred million dollars). Mr. Dennis is reported to have said: “One recommendation (in Appendix Two) requires special mention this year. In my 2003, 2004 and 2005 annual reports I expressed concern at the number of frauds and misappropriations that were detected in recent years in Government entities”. The BHC scandal appears to have paled into insignificance; clearly the Bermuda police had to consider proportionality and priorities; the police fraud department manpower comprised single figures – forget BHC’s eight million, there was $792,000,000 of Government ‘leakage’ to find … except it appears that this colossal loss is not being investigated! “
AND THOSE individuals whom were CS were brought before the courts, it was not the MPs. SO please be clear when you read the briefs on these matters. Some are still doing time at westgate…get real
Four uses of “whom” on this page and all incorrect….sigh…..better education needed
If you think he is making that number just check for yourself. There were $800 million spent during the PLP years that was unaccounted for – according to the PLP themselves. They don’t know where and how it was spent and why.
Betty Trump – Chris Famous if this is untrue please clarify!
It was not yet audited. Had $800 million been unaccounted for multiple arrests would have been made post Dec 17,2012
The premier says he could ‘say a lot’. What do you think he means by that, Mr. Famous? I think everything may come out at a more convenient time for the OBA just like that Surrogate Report came out at a convenient time for the PLP
How about the MILLIONS that have been missing since before the PLP even came to power when the good ol boys (UBP) were running down shop?!?! Idiot statement.
Please provide evidence for your statement like I did mine, and then we can talk.
Quick question for you to think about while you search for your evidence: What was the national debt before the PLP came to office and what was it when they left office?
Any monies missing, was found to be done by the actions of government workers. Those individuals were put before the court and charged accordingly. There was not charges put on any PLP MP, none were found guilty of any wrong doings. SO get it right. These were white collar crime, with in the government sector of CS. Under the OBAubp a CS was also found guilty for taking govt monies, so should I say the OBAUbp MPS are guilty.
Is this where we get to the “not illegal but unethical” part of the story?
You and the PLP can try to carry on as if this has been forgotten but I promise you it will NEVER be forgotten that during the PLP years they put us into financial slavery. Chris Famous wants to criticize about budget cuts, but he should start at the beginning and tell the people why there are budget cuts! A good starting point is that we are now spending over $100m per year on interest payments that the PLP placed on the people of this island. That’s why we have budget cuts people! The blame lies squarely on the PLP!
Justin – lets for a minute assume there is some truth to what you are saying.
The difference – the UBP left us with money and we were ranked in the top three for best place to live and highest per capita income.
The PLP put us in serious damage. Massive debt and nothing to show for it and I don’t think we are in the top 20 anymore.
Bringing up the [old] UBP is just as bad as Justin bringing up the PLP. The OBA is the government. Lets just focus on them please instead of deflecting like Justin is doing…
Deflecting? No, I am reminding Chris Famous and whoever else cares to listen that the reason there are budget cuts is directly as a result of the PLP’s mishandling, ineptitude and whatever else they did that crippled the financial health of this Country before they came to power.
Before we can even begin to move on the PLP should come clean and help find out where the money went. “Jet Gate” is small potatoes compared to a missing $800m of the people’s money!
“Financing for total scholarship awards fell 25% from $1.25m to $1m. This cut represents a 50% decline from 2011/12″
So was Mr. Walton Brown being intentionally misleading when his ‘article’ stated that total scholarship funding was cut to just $40k?
appears that PLP had to decieve us again!!!!!!
Liar Liar:-
No, that is NOT what MP Brown stated – he was referring specifically to Further Education Awards which were slashed from over $700k in 2012 to $40k for 2014
Total scholarships were cut from nearly $2m in 2012 to $1m in 2014
Govt Scholarships – $825k
Mature Student Awards – $ 85k
Further Education Awards – $ 40k
Teacher Training Awards – $ 30k
@Liarliar:
Brown was making reference to the Further Education Awards, which if you read the article above is the next line following (as posted below):
“Further Education Awards were cut by 83% from $240k to $40k”
Let’s be honest in our dialogue – - seriously.
Q
Below is what Mr. Brown stated in his so called ‘article:’
“Over the past two years, funding for students in need has dropped dramatically, from $760,000 in 2012 to a meager $40,000 today.
“With the cost of education in most places at not less than $20,000 per year this small sum can likely only fund two students’
So please point out in the above statement where Mr. Brown specified that he was speaking solely about further education grants.
You can’t, because he didn’t. Instead Mr. Brown deliberately misled you and the public in general that total scholarship funding was cut to $40k per annum.
So yes, let’s be honest in our dialogue…including yourself
Again, in your lust to attack, you missed my point.
I never stated that he “specified” that he was speaking solely about further education awards – - those are your words.
I made reference to what was inferred by his statement. I never even denied that it could be looked at that he misled the public – - never said that he did or didn’t.
I simply pointed out that that figure was and should be taken from the further education awards – - read my post and tell me I’m wrong. Again, attack first, listen second.
Q
“Next in the Education Series, I will address the lack of a dedicated Education Minister, and Permanent Secretary”
Well Famous, i hope your research goes back as far as 1998 as the PLP was pretty good at sharing this ministry around to what felt like all 12 (or 13?) Ministers in Cabinet!
IF government spend 20.000 approx.in each per year !….would be cheaper for them send the student to private school!!??????
I guess Famous does not see a problem with the fact that public education costs the taxpayer THOUSANDS more per student per year than the most expensive private school yet continues to produce dismal results.
Where is all that money going? First place to look would be at those seat warmers in DOE Administration busily shuffling paper back & forth.
READ THE BUDGET, and you will note the higher monies are paid on Salaries. GET REAL INFO and than talk.
So Betty agrees the need for some overpaid civil servants salaries to be reduced with the savings directed towards the children instead?
Did you check with your union rep before posting that remark?
Claudio get a life. I am sure it is not hard to get students to take scholarships. When I was in college applying for scholarships with a 3.6 GPA. I was not offered not one single company scholarship, but I applied for many. People would make the same comment you are making. There are so many unclaimed scholarships. I think that is just an excuse. These companies are not truly providing scholarships. It seems more like a front to me or maybe just reserved for a particular sector of our society and not the black.
sorry, but a 3.6 is just pretty average where I went to school. maybe you should have worked harder?
a 3.6 in this education system is excellent, getting through the BS is bad enough, our curriculums are abysmal and that is the problem , it has nothing to do with the department of education but everything to do with the aligarcy who control curriculums througout the world to make sure we, especially Melinated people don’t get the correct information so we remain under a standard of education that continues to change year in year out. Priviledge persons who attend yale,oxford,ect receive more original Moors science education which we should be receiving because no matter how you look at it education is supposed to be wholesome inclusive of all and pertinent to the Universe, earth, and our bodies within this planet.. It should be clear now that we have always received sub-standard information purposely to divide us and to keep our history from us.. If this isn’t the case, someone explain why the Ashe programme is not in effect!
maybe if you learned how to use the word “persons” correctly….or what a run-on sentance is….
*sentence
first of all axcot, since you care so much about grammer , look up the word persons and see if you can find something wrong with my sentence, keeping in mind the bastardized english language forever changing to suit the occassion, which is my point about education in general in Bermuda a mostly Melinated population learning a bastardized language about the same type of people only keeps us in confusion, which is why( Banjul) Gambia will no longer have english as an official language it will be dropped very soon!It was created to help the neanderthals who were illiterate and could not pronounce the Moorish Latin,originally ..mainly for communication purposes, anyway vowels are interchangeable so its more about understanding than trying to correct, just get the point if you can… I realize its hard for you and you don’t have what it takes but give it your best.I noted you had quite a number of errors in your reply.
When you have had a Civil Service and Dept of Education who has been staffed and DIRECTED by 90 – 95% “Melinated” individuals…. what is the EXCUSE now?
well maybe you didn’t go to a good school??????
the work was clearly too easy.
Umm no, 3.0 maybe average!
Umm a 3.6 gpa is not average. The highest one can obtain is a 4.0
So gov’t should be giving scholarships for persons who could not qualify for company ones? Gov’t scholarships should be easier? Furthermore, its not about your GPA its about your activities you do outside of school.
People always expect things to be easy and handed to them.. part of the reason why our society is the way it is.
@Mama Africa – perhaps it is the chip you have on your shoulder that turned the scholarship people off. Or perhaps those that won were better prepared, coached or had an average of 3.7?
You are owed nothing in life. I didn’t get a scholarship and to be honest I didn’t deserve one. My grades were just above average.
However my mother (a single mom because my dad died at a young age) put a few dollars in a savings account every week for my education. I wasn’t given anything and I am a better person for it as I have worked hard for everything I own.
The funding is being cut not on the students but unnecessary administration. Simple, do more with less and stop bleeding money through bureaucracy which is the current situation.
Agreed that Bermuda needs a better education system and maybe a massive re-think. The standards dropped very low under the PLP yet the costs continued to rise! Sound familiar!
The OBA’s travel budget has not even scratched the surface compared to the PLP junkets. Not to mention money wasted on initiatives like Faith Based Tourism! It is going to take the OBA a few decades to catch up to the PLP on that one.
What Famous is saying is that Ministers should not fly to seek out investment in Bermuda nor should the Premier travel to promote the Island. He should simply stay here and Skype everyone and achieve results that way. Travel is essential for the economic future of the Island, the economic future means jobs for the next generation.
I love how Famous says ‘Class is in session’ where are his credentials??
Does he have a single, education, finance or economics accreditation next to his name? Yet he speaks about the economy as if he is Adam Smith. LOL. Gotta love the PLP pretenders! That kind of attitude is what plunged us into debt!
Famous doesn’t even know who Adam Smith is.
@Steve Davis so are you saying that only people with accreditations can have a clear understanding of what’s going on? Some of the dumbest people are the ones with letters behind their name (no offense to anyone that is accredited). Some of the richest CEO’s in the world never even finished college. Come on man, you can do better than that!
So your saying on an education thread that education does not matter!? Famous is not a CEO, nor has he accomplished enough in his professional life to warrant an opinion on matters outside of his remit. It is called credentials!? they exist for a reason. Sure there are CEO’s without education, they are few and far between, very few. What I am saying is that there is such thing as qualified opinion, I am not a doctor but I can read enough online about the human body to recognize symptoms. Would you let me diagnose you?
@steve davis you missed my whole point but that’s ok we all have our opinions
Just asking but is the educational background of the Premier?
Of course the Company offering the Scholarship is interested in there line of work and “NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU WANT TO DO.
He whom plays the “RACE CARD” is the “RACIST”
EDUCATION is in the process of EVOLVING.
The persons involved in the Bermuda education are so far behind the “EIGHT BALL”
One work sums it up and there is nothing that the “LAZY TEACHERS” can do about it,they can b**** and moan and go on strike.
The word is called………….INTERNET.
OHMYGOD! Will people please learn the correct usage of “PEOPLE” vs “PERSONS”??? It’s “PEOPLE,” people!!! “Persons” is WRONG! Why do people try to sound dumber than they really are….ooops, I mean smarter than they really are. If you don’t know how to say it, just “AXE” someone.
How are teachers lazy. What a way to heap blame on a set of workers as a whole!
Someone gave the education budget to Beyonce.
Piggy bank is empty.
Now the books have to be balanced just to keep the schools lights on.
exactly! we could have used the $ wasted on freaking Beyoncé to award music scholarships! but the Green Regime won’t get it. all they are is flash over substance.
“Next in the Education Series, I will address the lack of a dedicated Education Minister, and Permanent Secretary”
Man, Mr. Famous is about to slam the PLP government who had constant turnover in this post, well done sir.
Famous,Famouss, Famousss Why don’t you take a flying f at the moon?
Everybody’s got an opinion but nobody has a worthwile solution!
*worthwhile
Go ahead Famous. Let them have it. Any country that fails to educate their people are a bunch of ……………….. You all fill in the blank. A society community as small as Bermuda not having a first class education system. Disgusting.
“Any country that fails to educate their people are a bunch of ………………..”, especially when you had successive group of confirmed African centic politicos who FAILED to IMPROVE the education of primarily African/Bermudians.
Yes Mr. Famous, let the government you promoted “have it” for DELIBERATELY not fixing the issues…..they just made things worse.
“Financing for total scholarship awards fell 25% from $1.25m to $1m.” —- Brah, that would be a 20% decrease
famous for what?
Bullch!tting the public, and his daytime job apparently!
Is the missing word MAZUMBOCANNS? Disgusting is right.
so, do we borrow another cool million or two? do we ask IB to adopt a school by raising corporate and payroll taxes? do we increase every licensing fee across the board? Do we introduce income tax? Chris, the biggest mistake the PLP government made is the adopt a borrow, cash and spend mentality like there was no tomorrow. After the passing of the old guard, the ‘children’ borrowed heavily against the family homesteads without any thought of how or if they can pay it back! Say what you like about the big bad OBA…you gotta admit they have slowed the fiscal hemorrhaging …..something Paula and company had no intention of doing.
Wonder where Famous was during the PLP’s 14 years of doing nothing for education.
What Mr. Famous fails to realise is that his demands are a tacit admission that fourteen years of PLP education policies and jobs policies completely and utterly failed. No Mr. Famous, it is time for new ideas and policies, ones which no longer are based on begrudging anybody who gets ahead by not kissing the PLP party’s proverbial you know what and kowtowing to the Party line.
Chris is an ok guy.
He is being used.
He knows I speak with no forked tounge.
Forgot.
He will be in St. Kitts or on the ballot for the next General Election.
Mark my Bean words………
Surrogates are found in only one party in Bermuda….. OBAubp …you got it… FOR REAL.
I agree. Anyone that knows Chris personally will tell you is a really nice guy with a big heart.
Not sure why he has immersed himself into politics and I say this regardless of who he supported PLP or OBA. Not sure why anyone wants to become a target of abuse.
Chris , our political views are often different and we will likely never agree but I do have the utmost respect for you as a person.
The results indicate the system should be slashed and burned….way too much dead wood and unqualified people …..feel sorry for the children
I’ve noticed that almost every respondent here has spelling errors which leads me to ponder whether you all were educated under this system which has so many so called flaws..? hmmmm…
Who cares none of us are trying to wright a novel here. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Yours may be creative writing. However, are you as equally strong with computers and networking? Can you build your own house or boat? Can you fix your own car , or fish, or teach?
Give the grammar criticism a break!
Oh!…one more thing…i haven’t heard any one blame the true culprit of our “failing” education system…lots of finger pointing and name calling, but…we all know where that gets us right? Why hasn’t anyone blamed the “Student”..?? If i’m talking and you aren’t listening…what did you learn? I’m also sure that you are familiar with Universities which have seats for a few hundred students in one room with one Professor, and he lectures and the Students take the pertinent notes which helps them when they take their exams…if you don’t pay attention it’s YOUR loss…then we end up with blinded discussions such as this one. Just a question i have is …who creates the curriculum for our ed. system…and is it the same for all schools…my solution is to do a social inquiry report on all failing or struggling students…find the cause then CURE the problem instead of trying to treat the symptoms, only to find you have lost the battle.
Looking at the numbers and if correct or even remotely correct will it not be the concern of all. Come on people lets discuss the impact of these cuts not labour over the past but what the wonderful OBA are doing. Cuts to educating our students is alarming.
Does any one know when lobsta Seasan ends ?
Thank you all for taking the time to read the piece.
The Education System is a relic of the Industrial Revolution. Bermuda has a TOP HEAVY administrative behemoth. 40 years ago FINLAND made the move the completely restructure education and are # 1 in the world.
Listen to GEOFFREY CANADA he will spell it out…..Bermuda is NO DIFFERENT
http://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_canada_our_failing_schools_enough_is_enough?quote=2156
Because EDUCATION is the MOST important thing Bermuda needs to address we have started a BLOG and we are getting traction in the USA and all over the world. http://ridethewavefoundation.blogspot.ca/
Once again will BERMUDA be left behind ? Governments in Bermuda have moved at the pace of snails for 3 decades! WAKE UP. We live in the 21st Century in the vortex of the Digital Revolution.
A 21st Century Education
As part of their continuing investigation into the approaches that support and extend next-generation-learning, Nokia and the Pearson Foundation launched a film series in 2009 that profiles and share thoughts of leading, innovative educators. The Mobile Learning Institute’s film series “A 21st Century Education” profiles individuals who embrace and defend fresh approaches to learning and who confront the urgent social challenges that are part of a 21st century experience. The series is meant to start, extend, or nudge the conversation about how to make change happen. The series is comprised of twelve films in three categories: Technology and 21st Century Learning, Student-Centered Learning and Social Equity and Justice in Education.
http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/great-learning/film-series/a-21st-century-education.html
I never forget when my former partner and I offered http://www.Bermuda.com to a local newspaper in 1999/2000 he was told by the GM ” Your website is not worth what you want for it and besides the “INTERNET IS A FAD”…… THE INTERNET IS A FAD……
We were speechless. That was in 2000. In 2000 GOOGLE hadn’t yet figured out their business model…… But by golly they did and they changed the planet.
Hundreds of newspaper organizations went out of business. Television has changed and many stations have closed globally. Record shops are GONE. CD’s DVD’s will be like Vinyl…..
Content is ALL online…..Content is ON DEMAND…..who waits for 7 pm to hear the news anymore ? These local guys are dishing up OLD NEWS and unless they figure it out they will go the way of the DODO bird too.
Guess what EDUCATION is online, will be online for everyone. So how do Bermuda schools FIT into the 21st CENTURY DIGITAL REVOLUTION…….?
It starts with a massive rethink at the top and a re-prioritizing funds for better quality teachers (masters degrees) and putting the kids first.
THE INTERNET IS THE BIGGEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE PLANET.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEJ_ATgrnnY
I use to hear all the time that Bermudian students were not taking advantage of the scholarship grants that were on offer; until I discovered the reason why.
Most grants were tailor-made for specific areas or career endeavours; companies would put up grants for students that were expected to work in their areas once they finish their studies. If you as a student were not taking up a particular career path than you were not able to apply for the scholarship grant. Government scholarships on the other hand were pretty wide ranching; so you can see the impact of the OBA government’s policy of making heavy cutbacks in this area which shows that this government has no interest in the future of Bermuda; the educational needs of it’s young people.
The OBA have a mammoth task….
Truth is that the PLP sat through the BIRTH of the GOOGLE era (PLP and GOOGLE started the same year 1998)….YET Education never changed in Bermuda….The Department of Education is as TOP HEAVY now as it was in 1998…..The SLASH and BURN needs to be done at the top. The fact that the PLP stared at their navels for 14 years and NEVER changed the course of EDUCATION shows me that they were OUT of TOUCH with the rapid pace of change. They were indeed hanging on to the Industrial Revolution and could not shake themselves into the future……That would be HARD WORK…
LOOK….lets just say BERMUDA is OUT of TOUCH period
This should have nothing to do with politics….but sadly everything in Bermuda is fraught with politics and the result is we GO NOWHERE….
KIDS EDUCATE yourselves on the INTERNET – whilst the adults continue to go round in circles…..
All kids should be entitled to equal opportunity. A small country such as Bermuda should be a leader in EDUCATION.
It is time for a complete overhaul. Protecting ADMIN JOBS and poorly qualified teachers has NO PLACE in Bermuda.
Tourism now stands a chance because Bermuda has done the right thing creating a Tourism Authority free of all the “Friends and Family” benefits. It is now about business.
Education needs a complete shakeup with a vision to see Bermuda’s kids all be successful and be the best creative kids out there. To accept anything less is a failure of leadership and vision. Take the politics out of education and our kids have a chance !
If you care about EDUCATION…..WATCH THIS….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni75vIE4vdk
More on need for change in education from Will Richardson
“If you want school to be test prep that’s fine, but please realize you don’t need schools any longer for test prep…(online) kids will get personalized self paced curriculum where they can pretty much get prepared for the test…I understand why we go for better…most of us are products of the system and we can relate to what better means…we have taken the same tests that our kids have taken and forgotten the same answers that our kids are going to forget as they go through school..We know the system…the system worked pretty well for a few decades…but right now this system is KILLING our kids. It is taking all the imagination, all the creativity, all the initiative, all the engagement right OUT of them”
“It is time now we stop trying to do schools better and we start trying to do them differently…schools in the form they were constructed are no longer relevant to our kids’ lives in terms of places to get information and knowledge. Information and knowledge are everywhere…we have to reenvision schools for a different purpose and that purpose is more meaningful, more important, more difficult in a lot of ways..schools for our kids have to be places of deep enquiry, where they are solving real world problems because they have a lot of problems that they will need to solve..places where we can help them find their passions and support those passions so that they can become the life long learners in this context that we all want them to be..and none of this is the stuff of test prep, all of that is the stuff of life prep”
“Do we want our kids being prepared for their futures by a system that hasn’t fundamentally changes in 125 years?..We have to take back this conversation about education from the businessmen and the politicians..and we have to scream to whoever is listening that test prep and learning are two very different things and one has been lost at the expense of the other right now and this is not acceptable for our kids…The system was built for a world that no longer exists”
Another TED talk about the need of reforming education to adapt to the many possibilities of the modern world by Will Richardson. He has been blogging about the intersection of social online learning networks and education for the past 10 years. He is a former public school educator for 22 years, and is a co-founder of Powerful Learning Practice, a unique long-term, job-embedded professional development program that has mentored over 3,500 teachers worldwide in the last four years. Extremely interesting and inspiring talk, please take the time to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni75vIE4vdk
The most watched TED talk of all time: Do schools kill creativity ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&list=PL70DEC2B0568B5469