Schools Closing: CARIFTA Final Day
Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith said this morning [Feb.3] all public schools will be closed on April 9, 2012 for the final day of the CARIFTA Games.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Dame Jennifer said, “”This decision was taken so that the entire school system can support the final day of the CARIFTA Games. It is no secret that events of this magnitude require a large number of volunteers – and our teachers, senior students and Department of Education administrators will be able to provide vital support to this event and to our athletes.
“Carifta is a major international sporting event that will be hosted by Bermuda over the Easter weekend. The games will attract a large international audience and will feature Bermuda’s best student athletes, many of whom are public school students.
“Just as we support academic achievement and creative talent; so must we support those gifted athletes who – following their successful Carifta experience – may one day represent our country at the Olympics.
“Our athletes are role models for their peers and I think that it is most appropriate for us to recognise excellence in all spheres.
“To that end, I also encourage the Members of this House and the general public to attend the Carifta Games and support our athletes.
“Mr. Speaker, I have made this announcement now to ensure that principals, parents and teachers have ample notice so that they can plan accordingly. All public schools will be closed on Monday the 9th of April. Classes will resume on Tuesday the 10th April, 2012.”
While I am sure that this was put in place with good intent. If the object of the exercise was to and I quote “This decision was taken so the entire school system can support the final day of the CARIFTA games” then it should have been a regular school day. Students and teachers should have gone as schools to either support or volunteer. Really with parents working what percentage of students will actually use this day for what it is intended???????????????????
That’s a good point!
And what about working parents who have just been conned into an extra days childminding fees? Agree with you @part of the solution – not thought through at all
And don’t forget the following week on Friday April 20th, The Annual Exhibition, where we have to TRY and find someone to look after our children, if we cannot take the day off from work.
I was thinking the exact same thing!! 80% of the students will simply take off.
totally agree. at any sporting event we would have all gone as a school, sat as a school, and returned together to those various schools for pick ups and what have you unless we had our own transportation. while i agree with the setiment behind it i don’t think the scematics where properly thought out.
What a dumb thing to do why not keep the schools in and arrange to have them attend as the individual school bodies? You honestly think the kids are going to attend. Slap yourself please Jennifer
Seriously,,,,,,,,is there anyone with a brain in government……
Where is Mr. Butler – he would have done exactly as you have all stated – school outing in uniform with Bermuda Flags…..
Mr. Butler must be grinding his teeth at this nonsense..
Thank’s for extra day of government; I’ll use it to hang around the house and sleep in. Most people I know will not go and ONLY would have gone if drag by the teachers. I feel sorry for the parents. You messed up on this one.
“This decision was taken so the entire school system can support the final day of the CARIFTA games”
Really? Are private schools not part of the “entire school system”?
Interesting….
In the Caribbean, the schools would not close, rather, the students would get a day off by attending the event to support their classmates and country -in school uniform with pride!!
Remember Bermuda, this is an internationally televised event. Why cant you dress you students up in their Bermuda Shorts.
Every opportunity to market this island should be pursued.
I think a small group of students of each school could go and the rest of the students remain in school I don’t know how it will work with all students attending that’s a lot of students to be supervised!
What can I say…. Money!!! Force parents to take a day off or pay childcare…. Chances are some will go and pay the entrance fee…
Thanks a lot gosh anther day to be out of work. Hard as it is to keep my job. With all these school breaks it is getting very annoying. Both my kids will be out and I will NOT be attending this event, especilly in a large group setting I do not do that with my kids anymore with all the violence.
Brilliant – I think it would be best if Dame Jennifer now mandates all teachers to attend the final day of the Carifta Games (their pay, presumably, is not reflecting this extra day off), and parents can drop every child of every age at the Carifta Games for the day. That will work, won’t it?
Honestly, as if working parents don’t have enough to deal with in times of recession. Are the 5 year olds going to be volunteering? Come on!
great move for Bermuda the kids and for all current and future physical educators…..
Really? So now in addition to the Friday you have to take off or arrange childcare for the following week (for the Exhibition) now an unanticipated vacation day for the CARIFTA Games?!
OMG!!! These lot are making it all up as they go along!!
I agree Dame, good intention but not very well thought out. Who is going to supervise not only the P1′s but what about the pre-schoolers.
What about this, All public school children attend the games on Saturday, a day off school anyway. If S4 and maybe Chosen S3 Senior students need to help on closing day, fine but only chosen students.
I think, Dame, that it would be a good idea if you retract and think of something else.
If not, we will have a day for, especially Senior students, hanging out at the bus terminal putting a strain on the bus drivers.
Think it through!
All this over students attending the final day of Caritfita,to see their follow students compete. Only in Bermuda to such things become a very heatd debate over nothing. Parents drop you kids at the stadium, have them dress and ctach the bus, just make sure they attend it will be worth it.
Obviously you do not have any children. Who would ‘drop off’ a pre-schooler or any child for that matter. They are so concerned about Education that they are not THINKING of the students and the parents who encourage their children in school.
Sticky please be sure to volunteer your services to watch the preschoolers whose parents are not employed by the BIU who actually have to go to work to get paid.
I can say that I will be willing to assist with my son by my side! It is an international event and only for 1 day not a week! Take a day of your vacation days that u have to attend this event with your child. Not sure when and if it will take place locally again. In addition, this may give students the drive to reach for the gold in their favorite event as it can become a motivation for them! Just trying to turn the negative to a positive.
They gave you over 2 months notice I’m not understanding what the problem is. With over 2 months notice there should be no complaints; more than enough time for parents to make arrangements. I understand that they could have been kept in school and been taken on buses however the decision has been made. This should be a prod moment for all Bermudians,and we should be commending the Bermuda Government as this is one of their better decisions during their time in power.
The fact is not about making arrangements. The intent is so “The ENTIRE school system can support the final day of the CARIFTA games”. The problem for most people is, if you actually read the comments, that the majority of the students and teachers will not use this day for what it was intended.
Understood however I was addressing the people who were complaining about the arrangements I guess you just happened to miss those comments, if you yourself actually read you would have seen.
And once again the public calls for teachers to do the jobs of parents. Agreed it is an unscheduled day, however a better solution might have been to move the easter holiday from the week before to the week of April 9, 2012, that way parents would not be so severely inconvenienced.
It simply amazes me that one parent who does not take their child to large events because of the violence but doesn’t mind teachers taking their children.
I hear what the public is saying about students not going, however that is a parental responsibility to formulate a plan and insist that their child are where they are expected to be.
Quite frankly, I feel that the Ministry of Education already does too much bending to accomodate parents. These are YOUR children!!!!!!!!! Parents don’t, not can’t, show up to school meetings (unless the school gives their child something), but they show up in full effect at soccer games etc.
Come on people, parents have to at least meet the education department half way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Geeesh!
I am absolutely shocked at the negative posts in response to Dame Jennifer’s announcement. Whilst I accept that it will take extra effort for all of us to make certain aarrangements, the decision is clearly a good one.
How many of the readers have taken the time to sit and watch our gifted students perform in various sporting events?
I also note our continued dependence on government to do everything. One solution is for parents to ‘child pool.’ As an example, if I can take the day off, I will take 4 of my friends’ children with me. If this is not feasible than find another solution.
The key here is to expose our children to as many activites as possible with the hope that at least one activity will inpsire them to be focussed in a positive manner.
I could go on for quite a bit but I think I have made my point!!
Exactly, whats the big deal! Our kids are so far ahead of the rest of the world educationaly speaking (NOT)that why not give them the month off.
Take a day, and pay to see an event with your whole family…how much will that cost a person?
………..and you wonder why our children do not value education? Ridiculous and not thought through. A great gesture, yes, but not safe at all. I remember we used to go to interschool sports as a school group? why can’t this be done? It would be a better idea to go to the event in proper school uniform with big Bermuda flags to support the athletes! Dame Jennifer, this is a recipe for disaster.