The BDA/Alliance Releases Education Platform
Bermuda newest political party, the Bermuda Democratic Alliance [BDA] today [Mar 25] unveiled their education platform. The BDA Education Committee is headed by Myron Piper, who stated that Bermuda’s current education system was hindered by a number of historical problems including failed leadership and an inconsistent focus on the basics. He said:
The future of Bermuda and our continued success depends on our children being effectively educated. Education is also a key factor in correcting Bermuda’s socio-economic disparities, which are increasingly manifesting themselves with escalating anti-social behaviour. We believe Bermuda’s students are unnecessarily suffering due to failed leadership, a lack of accountability and transparency within the system and an inconsistent alignment of curriculum across the board.
The BDA’s education platform calls for:
- Implementation of the Hopkins Report which called for a dramatic improvement in the quality of teaching and leadership by principals and radical reform to the Ministry of Education.
- Imposing a moratorium on further reports and consultants until the Hopkins Report recommendations are fully enacted. It is neither necessary nor prudent to devote further funds on consultants when the focus should be on taking action.
- Immediate halt to social promotion instead ensuring students are academically prepared to progress onto the next academic level.
- Enforcement of the “Code of Conduct” to address disciplinary issues within the classroom combined with an outreach programme for parents.
- Publishing the results of annual standardised exams in a timely manner and holding Ministry of Education employees accountable for these results.
- Hire and maintain the best teachers based on a contractual performance review. Require that teachers’ contracts are renewed based on individual performance and merit. A performance management system should be introduced whereby Those teachers who are ineffective and who are unable to produce results are managed out while promoting those teachers who are exemplary.
- Create a specialized learning centre for principals and teachers that will provide ongoing professional development and leadership training.
- Ensure the teaching of Bermuda’s economy, history and culture are mandatory so all students know our Island’s past, how our society functions and the role they play in its success.
- Establish a Government coordinated after-school academic support, sports and arts programme.
- Creating a central and non-partisan agency for applying for scholarships.
Myron Piper also explained that the Bermuda Democratic Alliance was not looking to reinvent the wheel but to put into action those solutions that had already been identified while returning back to the basics.
You can view the BDA Education Platform Presentation below, click on the right hand side to move to next slide:
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Mr. Piper today spoke today at a press conference, full text follows:
We believe Bermuda’s students are unnecessarily suffering due to failed leadership, a lack of accountability and transparency, and an inconsistent delivery and alignment of curriculum across schools.
The Government of Bermuda commissioned a comprehensive review of the public education system by renowned professor Dr. David Hopkins in 2007.
The first three recommendations that required immediate action were:
- Dramatically improve the quality of teaching
- Improve the quality of leadership by Principals
- Reform the Ministry of Education
A further seven recommendations laid a blueprint for ensuring
sustainability of the first three core recommendations as outlined:
- Strengthen the strategic management of the education system
- Introduce delegation and transparent accountability at all levels
- Raise the school leaving age and federate secondary and tertiary education
- Align the curriculum both vertically and horizontally
- Create self governing federations around clusters of primary schools and each middle school
- Respond to concerns about inclusion and behaviour
- Harness the power of parents, business and the community
The Bermuda Democratic Alliance seeks to implement with fidelity the core recommendations of the Hopkins review, as it also supports the belief as stated in the Hopkins review that “the adoption and implementation of these recommendations will result in a rapid rising of standards in Bermuda’s schools.
More succinctly stated by Professor Hopkins “Re-professionalism”- have we achieved this in 3 years since the review? Absolutely Not! The Bermuda public has waited for three years and there has been much unrest and protest as the Government has not only moved away from the core recommendations of the Hopkins review but upon careful scrutiny, many new initiatives have resulted in a substantial waste of money with little or no improvement.
We had consultant Dr. Johnson emphatically state that the Ministry was aligning the Bermuda curriculum with international assessments, spending millions of dollars on the initiative; only to abandon that and see Dr. Johnson depart before his tenure was complete.
On the heels of Dr. Johnson, we saw Mr. Mark Byrne, Ministry Board Chairman, wipe the slate clean with the adoption of the Cambridge Curriculum, and then resign shortly thereafter frustrated by the ‘lack of political will’ by the Ministry to make decisions necessary to effect needed change. We are left to ponder over the implications of that statement.
There have been many appointments that have increased the senior management of the Ministry of Education, while those persons that the Hopkin’s Report said should be removed remain at the hierarchy of the Ministry. Little is known about the selection process but much is being said about continual nepotism and cronyism in the selection of these positions.
In the midst of critical curriculum implementation-we have the Ministry announcing the movement of Principals with little regard to the tremendous shifts being experienced by teachers, parents and students with what is being described as the ‘soft implementation’ of the Cambridge curriculum and its associated resources.
In the past few months leaks to the public about primary school closings have created even more doubt from parents and teachers regarding the future of public education. Student enrolment in public education is down as parents choose private and home schools amidst the secrecy, uncertainty and haphazard roll out of the Government’s “education reform”.
Only a year ago, we saw parents protest over the retention of middle school students, which saw decisions being carried out without any form of collaboration or parental involvement. The continual defensive posture the Ministry finds itself in is a direct result of its policies and practices. Until the Ministry can orchestrate a clear vision backed by affective leadership it will continue down this path of wasting precious resources, time and energy.
“Damage control” putting out fires is not the same as transparency and collaboration. Being inclusive when confronted by protest and dissent is not inclusiveness. Even then the Government had chosen to deliberately and wilfully undermine the democratic process. This was evidenced by the way the five primary schools’ decision to have a joint meeting to discuss closures was handled.
Government contacted and initiated a meeting with four of the five schools involved the day before the scheduled meeting with the deliberate and wilful intention of undermining their right to gather and discuss their dissatisfaction with the Ministry over matters pertaining to those schools being targeted for closure. is not strategic or student focused.
Government’s clear lack of vision with regards to Education lends to it constantly having to be reactive when dealing with all affected stakeholders. It is imperative that this Ministry take a more proactive approach tempered with transparency and inclusiveness if it expects to gain the confidence and support of Principals, teachers, parents and the community. The need for strategic and student based initiatives involving all stakeholders at the onset are imperative if we intend to resolve the current Education Crisis.
We hear of grandiose initiatives being thrown about like Lead and Learn, Literacy Collaborative, single sex classes, shifting of middle schools, trade schools, and so on. What is the real focus and why is the public not informed of decision or initiatives prior to their implementation? Why not do a status report referring to each of the Hopkins recommendations.
For example-What can we review (hard evidence) that is backed by specific data to show any improvement in the quality of teaching? Have Principal standards been developed in the past three years? Have any of the ‘newly created’ Directors and Assistant Directors posts been appointed on merit with five year contracts in place? It’s been three years, surely we can ask for some measures of performance by the Ministry of Education.
The Board of Education is made up of business men and women who are unable to monitor improvements from within as they have major responsibilities outside of their responsibilities to this board. How does a CEO of a major business keep an active hand in the daily affairs of the Ministry. The Board should consist of technical officers, principals, and teachers who know education, with supporting persons from the business community to offer financial and management solutions when needed.
Education I believe is the single most important and far reaching institution for its citizens. It is the pillar of our society. We don’t have years to get this right or time to further analyse the issues at hand. We are all aware that education needs immediate attention. We must be deliberate in our actions now so we can prepare the students of today for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
We must support our teachers and provide them with the tools to succeed; we must strengthen the role of our principals, implement greater accountability across the board and provide confidence and guidance to our parents so our students can thrive not only in Bermuda but stand equally with others on the world stage.
