Comments on: Education Minister On External Exam Results

By: shirley white

shirley white — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:34:27 +0000

It is a pity that the last govt. did not capitalize on the expertise of retiring teachers who left the system with much to offer still. Teacher college trained got good training in classroom management, teaching skills etc. and it all went home to roost. What a pity !
Why is it that public schools are TWO years behind private schools. At age 16 Private sch. students take and pass 9 IGCSE exams (All above C) and public sch. students are lucky if they pass 5–two years later ! !

Our children are just as capable. We must step it up in the classroom !

By: Family Man

Family Man — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 17:32:31 +0000

But its lower than an “F” right?

By: jt

jt — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 17:13:12 +0000

“an IGCSE” – meaning one?

By: Oh my word

Oh my word — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 17:12:10 +0000

The funny thing is, I bet the expat that can’t fluently speak English will be able to pass the language and grammar test with flying colours. Same as I can’t speak Spanish, but I can correct the hell out of a badly written Spanish essay.

By: Watching

Watching — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:46:35 +0000

The last govt messed up the teaching system.

By: Truth is killin' me...

Truth is killin' me... — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:26:36 +0000

Well said Suzie!

By: Winnie Dread

Winnie Dread — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:48:44 +0000

We can decorate this thing in every which way we want, fact still remains we have a long way to go from middle school up.With regards to grades for me its A,B,C.

By: Suzie Quattro

Suzie Quattro — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:42:25 +0000

There are some great teachers and there are some disasters. The great ones care about their pupils, prepare properly for classes, treat the kids as individuals, and are experts in actually teaching skills to kids. The terrible ones are unprepared, uninterested, no lesson plan, no idea how to keep control of a classroom, no idea how to actually teach skills.

They both exist in our schools.

The right thing to do would be to seed out the poor teachers, and replace them with the best teachers we could find. But we all know that you can’t fire a teacher, and you can’t replace a fired inept Bermudian. So the inept teachers get to keep their jobs in perpetuity, the kids suffer, and the excellent teachers do their best among their mediocre peers.

By: Minister Apologises: Comments About Teachers | Bernews.com

Minister Apologises: Comments About Teachers | Bernews.com — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:38:04 +0000

[...] yesterday’s press conference, Minister Brangman said: “The weakness in our system has been found to be quality of teaching, [...]

By: Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:16:35 +0000

How do you know the teachers aren’t qualified? Have you ever noticed the amount of students that hang out in the streets after school? The teachers have to instil a huge amount of knowledge of many different subjects in a short period of time. What has been instilled during the day can’t be grasped fully unless the student gets their backside home for homework & study. We don’t need public schools privatised we just need parents acting like they send their child to a private school even if they don’t. Another thing needed is longer school days which was talked about by the new government but then the opposite was planned. Reduction in education cost & time is the last thing needed for a country in a recession & this is blatantly obvious when looking at the rot America is in. Ministers pay should be reduced far before education especially since all already have a day job so the amount of ministerial time they put in doesn’t equate to their extremely high government pay check.

By: Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 13:53:07 +0000

Expats are hired in Bermuda regardless of their mastery of the English language. I bet my bottom dollar there are a higher percentage of permit holders here that can’t speak fluent english her than those that can. I don’t disagree that its beneficial to have honed math & language skills but I wouldn’t hold my breath thinking it will make employers pick a Bermudian over an expat. The problem doesn’t lie in minister Brangman’s ministry as much as it does in minister Fahy’s since the ones who do make it & go on to study abroad still find it hard to get job here when they are finished.

By: Somebody's Momma

Somebody's Momma — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 13:43:53 +0000

G is an international grade in the UK system.

By: FYI

FYI — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 11:59:25 +0000

Before you lay all the blame on the education system, understand that the foundation for a child’s education, and their overall attitude for learning, listening, understanding, taking instructions,respect for self and others, begins at HOME. If PARENTS do not hold their children accountable from a young age, then teachers will be at a deficit when they begin the formal education process at the age of 5. Teachers put in countless hours educating our children (NO OVERTIME. They are so greatly unappreciated. I suggest that you walk a mile in their shoes and try to understand the pressures they endure. Teachers not only teach, they counsel, they feed, they nurture, they provide support, most times without even so much as a THANK-YOU.

By: seniority entitlements!

seniority entitlements! — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 11:51:45 +0000

70% pass rate for a cirriculum that is not recognised anywhere in the world. A student still needs 2 YEARS of education AFTER graduating if they have ANY aspirations. The cirriculum is obviously WAY above the heads of the teachers based on the results too! Privatise the schools, bring in people that can do the job or do something… please.

By: Bermuda Male

Bermuda Male — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 11:05:51 +0000

Well at least they’re consistent as only 28% passed their GCSEs last year as well.

Come on BDA, we are selling our kids short.

By: ed

ed — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:48:48 +0000

Pass rates are measured against students passing five or more gcse’s. Lots more work to be done.

By: Apethetic

Apethetic — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:44:51 +0000

Appalling results. Bermuda education system is failing your children. There are so many opportunities for these children in International Business if only they had a good education. They need good English and Maths results to compete in this world. Without a sound education you are raising a generation who will miss out on the good jobs available, more expats will need to be brought in and the vicious circle continues.

By: Family Man

Family Man — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 22:24:35 +0000

“G” = good try?

By: Family Man

Family Man — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 22:24:02 +0000

I presume you stand proudly in that majority.

Of the 227 Senior Year 4 students, 217 graduated with a BSSC. Presumably all 217 graduates, plus possibly an additional 10, plus an additional unspecified number of middle school students (not exceeding 78) wrote a total of 1204 exams at IGCSE level. Only 336 of those 1204 exams resulted in a pass. How many could not pass English & Math but still graduated?

By: Real Talk (original)

Real Talk (original) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 22:15:40 +0000

Could be just me, but last time I checked, a 2.0 was NOT a 70%… more like a 60%.
Maybe I’ve been out of school too long.
And WTF is a “G”?

By: terry

terry — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:14:40 +0000

What is 100% minus 28%.
Your point.

By: Family Man

Family Man — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 20:33:28 +0000

What the education minister has been very careful to avoid is the mention of how many students were able to pass an international exam measuring their competence in English & Math in the public school system.

Only 28% of the exams taken resulted in a passing grade. Some students obtained multiple passing grades, some students did not achieve a single pass. But 96% of students graduated with a BSSC.

I think the minister has highlighted how valuable the BSSC truly is.