Ministry: ‘No Knowledge’ Of Survey Referred To
Following questions from Independent MP Terry Lister, Education Minister Dr. Grant Gibbons said that the Ministry has “no knowledge of the survey” to which former Education Commissioner Dr Edmond Heatley referred to when he said he had raised approval rates some 70% in six months.
Mr. Lister’s question — which caused snickers among MPs last night [May 9] in the House of Assembly — was followed with another: “Given that Dr. Heatley included this false information on his job application, what impact did this have in assessing his ongoing credibility as an educational leader in Bermuda?”
Audio of the exchange last night in the House of Assembly:
Noting that staffing isn’t the purview of the Ministry per se, Dr. Gibbons replied: “Obviously Dr Heatley is no longer with the Ministry.”
In addition, Dr. Gibbons confirmed that Dr Heatley had been on a salary of $171,893 per year — not the $190,000 he claimed on his application — and also added that he was not given a severance package.
Dr. Heatley, an American, took up the post in Bermuda in September 2013 and in March 2014 it was revealed that he applied for a job in the United States.
Further controversy arose when it appeared that on his application for the job he claimed to have “increased public education approval rates from 23% to 93%” while employed in Bermuda.
Screenshot from the job application that was released, click to enlarge:
Following the controversy, Dr. Heatley resigned as the Commissioner of Education, and Bermudian Dr Lou Matthews assumed the role of Acting Commissioner upon Dr. Heatley’s departure on April 30th.
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Articles that link to this one:
- Dr Heatley Back In Contention For Orleans Job | Bernews.com | May 30, 2014
It’s quite disturbing a person of his caliber cannot complete an application correctly i.e. Grammar n correct information regardless of the fact that he presumably noted false information re educational approval rates. In the application above it is noted as Jonesboro, GA as the location for Employer and Position Title moreso starting a new sentence in lower case. Yet this was the Commissioner of Education who was suppose to be the Big Shot … Unbelievable !
He is gone, so why are you flogging a dead horse, Mr Lister? So, that MPs can snicker in the House of Parliament? Is any information
compromising to the MoE in some way? Otherwise why is it important to rehash it?
Perhaps you refuse to take note that this issue was dealt with in a fair and impartial manner, that was equally transparent and protective of the public purse.
Now, on to the issue of Government cuts in university education, Dr Gibbons. When can we expect a reversal of that grossly inequitable decision? And here is an issue to be taken seriously, Mr Lister.
It’s not often that I agree in totality with Ms. Akinstall, however here is one of those times!!!! Someone help me to understand why we as government workers took a 15% pay cut, only to watch months later as government pulls money out of a hat to train under performing principals; hire consultants; take luxurious trips and all at the same time cutting scholarships of our children.
Yes Mr. Lister if you are looking for something to bring to the forefront, there are more than enough issues right now, besides ones that have been solved!!!!!!
15% pay cut? 15%? FIFTEEN PERCENT?
Unless everybody is lying, the furlough day agreement amounted to a mutually agreed and mutually calculated 4.6%.
Come on Government workers, let’s not start myth-building so soon.
Hopefully Sick n Tired doesn’t work in the Accountant General’s office.
Hey, the civil service can get the day a month back, as long as we lose all the civil servants no longer needed. How does that sound?
someone tell me this guy has finally gone crackin’?
Valirie does not live in Bermuda.
Guess she got crackin.
I don’t listen to anybody’s comments that’s not living here because if you’re not living here you’re not feelin’ it!
Truth is killin’ me…
You will note that I chose to respond to your comment rather than the one above it; pedantry is not my forte.
Unless YOU have walked in my shoes, do NOT presume that what I endured in Bermuda did not change me eternally.
London, England
Having listened to the sound bite, it appears that Terry Lister was just wasting the House of Assemby’s time with this nonsense.
I completely agree with Ms Akinstal. The only thing is she agin forgot to put ‘London England’ at the end of her post.
Flatts
Bermuda
@Betty Dump…
The observance is note with a smile.
Why does the fact that I am in London…no, rather, the fact that I post from ‘London, England” resonant so much with commentators? Simply put, it is where I am and my reasoning I always want people to know is stated from afar. Thus, I may not be feeling the temperature on the ground, but it does not preclude me from interpreting it.
My degree taught me to question, research, analysis, extrapolate and comment on media events herein a legal context. I do not attempt to be subtle, politically bias and/or create spin and/or deception. My opinion is my character backbone, and quite respectfully, I give a damn when I state what truly concerns me.
London, England
Because it’s pretentious and unnecessary.
Shru De Bushes, Devonshire
No, because it’s “pretentious and unnecssary” from your point of view? Please, do not project your warp psychological views upon me as you shield your identity by a false name.
It’s “pretentious and unnecessary” says the commetator who shields his/her identity, but then when I criticise someone, even from afar, I have the courage to post my name and where I post from. I think that you have miscontrued “pretenious and unnecessary” with your own personal lack of conviction and lack of backbone.
Is this your way to twist the debate into a personal attack, and snicker comfortably in the knowledge that you are perfectly anonymous to us?
The petty viciousness that anonymous commentators hold this blog to ransom and attempt to continuuously drag it into a pit is very sad. It’s not a debate, it’s a smear campaign. And that is percisely how they avoid, deflect and distract others from engaging in the debate of the article above.
It’s a pity that many find absoutely nothing wrong with snickering about others, especially as anonymous commetators and a few members in the House of Parliament.
And I should come back to this social atmosphere? No thanks, I’ll pass…
London, England