Comments on: Education Ministry Goes Back To Basics

By: LOL (original)

LOL (original) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:56:12 +0000

Anyone know the GCSC prep results. The average for the S2 class at Berkeley seems to be around 33%…………………………

LOL

By: ND

ND — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:51:51 +0000

Change needs to begin at the top (barring Dame Jennifer Smith–who has only recently been sworn into her title as Minister). However, change will never take place as long as the school system continues to be led based on personal relationships! Why keep an ineffective principal at the helm of a school just because you know that individual and have a personal relationship with said individual? Only the children suffer as a result. The Hopkins Report does offer excellent suggestions by way of improvement for our present failing school system; however, until and unless those suggestions are actually carried out, the report simply remains “words on paper.”

By: Skeptical

Skeptical — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:58:56 +0000

Totally agree!!! This is nothing new.

By: Hmmmmm

Hmmmmm — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:18:18 +0000

All these variations on the theme of the Hopkins Report are proof of the lack of courage this Government has when it comes to making tough decisions. This announcement should read: “Randy, Neletha and El couldn’t do it. I’m getting closer but firing people this close to an election isn’t wise so I’ll try a little spin on what Hopkins really said needed to be done and hold on…”. Later for tourism, privatise education if you want real reform. The politician has yet to be born that will tame the beast at Dundonald Street and this move is window dressing. If the aim is to make schools autonomous units within families of schools then the work of HQ should be diminishing not increasing, allowing the Commissioner and her people to get into the schools. If that hasn’t been happening then making this shift is not the answer. But you gotta love the titles though. One unparalleled skill this Administration has is impressive, hollow names. Dame Jennifer, be the mercenary people think you are and the children of Bermuda will thank you for it.

By: Truth for Truth

Truth for Truth — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:28:54 +0000

How long has the UBP been out of power? The now scapegoat is the PLP. More power to Warren, if Jennifer stays out of his way, he may get to do his job.

By: Pondering

Pondering — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:57:54 +0000

Is it a good idea to use the word “Simple”?

By: Letariatpro

Letariatpro — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:48:58 +0000

Teaching and Learning, huh? A novel idea. What pray tell were the objectives before?

While very noble the intent, little was said about how they will go about this and exactly what these new titles mean. What are their job descriptions? By what will their efforts be judged?

I think today I shall call myself ‘President’, that should help my business.

By: LaVerne Furbert

LaVerne Furbert — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:34:31 +0000

At least Bernews got the name of the Permanent Secretary right.

By: chris

chris — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:41:08 +0000

shaken not stirred

By: What??

What?? — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:02:09 +0000

The Ministry of Education wants to bring ““Teaching and Learning” at the forefront of the Ministry’s mission”? What the heck has been going on all these years? From 1998 till recently, what was the MoE trying to bring about?

By: Terry

Terry — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:47:12 +0000

It’s all those teachers that were hired under the UBP….

By: Kennette J Burgess

Kennette J Burgess — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:31:34 +0000

Dame all the best, you seem to be doing a great job. We have too many efficient internal sources to be turning to external sources that are not right for Bermuda and its people.
For peace and progress.

By: Watchful EYE

Watchful EYE — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:34:37 +0000

It is not the UBP’s fault and not the PLP’s fault either it is the person of the day listening to the numerous so called expert consultants that they keep bringing in to chop and change from American to Canadian, to British to what ever system they think at the time will work for the BERMUDA school system. So stop changing and lets teach.
Dame i wish you all the best and as I read in the article i hope it stays simple and that it is sucessful in educating our future leaders of the island.

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:10:52 +0000

It’s all the UBP’s fault.

Teaching and learning. Thats what it is all about. Bring back the Cadre…..

By: Tired of nonsense

Tired of nonsense — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:00:06 +0000

Hopefully Dame Jennifer can breathe some life back into this useless school system as ours…

Personally I know of some pretty useless teachers employed by the system who have no qualms about telling people how they became a teacher for the summer vacations, brag about how their Union membership prevents them from ever getting fired while also stating that they do not get paid to put in the extra work or putting in extra time with the children isn’t part of their job description.

Time to stip off the dead wood from our education system. Such people only hurt the youth and by extension Bermuda as they are producing “graduates” through social promtion techniques that do not have the necessary skills to survive in our economy.

Good luck Dame Jennifer. Hope you have better luck second time around and more luck then the past 7/8/9 ministers which have held the position in less than 10 years…