Live Video Replay: Meeting On SCORE Report
[Updated] There is a meeting underway at St. David’s Primary School this evening [Feb 15], with people asked to “come together as a community and take a stance against the Ministry of Education’s consideration to close our school.”
This follows after Minister of Education Wayne Scott said that closing Gilbert Institute, Prospect Primary School, St. David’s Primary School and Heron Bay Primary School are among the possible scenarios of school reorganisation detailed in the SCORE report, noting that he is sharing the report’s findings, and has “not made a decision regarding school reorganization or school closures.”
The event poster said, “Attention the Entire St. David’s Community, if you do not wish to see our beloved St. David’s Primary School become a casualty of the recently released SCORE report, you are encouraged to attend an important community meeting.”
Saying they will be “looking at everything,” Education Minister Wayne Scott has urged people to submit their views on our education system as the Ministry continues their consultation process.
All consultation submissions are due by March 4th, and can be emailed to educationconsultation@moed.bm.
Update: The meeting concluded at 7.45pm and the 1 hour 10 minute live video replay is below:
Update 8.22pm: Audio of comments from PTA President Patrice Minors speaking after the meeting
Please note the following. “This follows after Minister of Education Wayne Scott said that closing Gilbert Institute, Prospect Primary School, St. David’s Primary School and Heron Bay Primary School are among the possible scenarios of school reorganisation detailed in the SCORE report, noting that he is sharing the report’s findings, and has “not made a decision regarding school reorganization or school closures.”
That’s right, usually the staff will cry the loudest when you tinkle with their comfort zones.
The government needs to be careful moving forward. The Primary schools have a history of great success. The small size community schools seem to benefit Bermuda best…..
The closing of our Community High shcools and the creation of huge Mega schools by the UBPOBA has failed us. The success of our Middle and Mega schools seem to indicated that model does not work…at least not for Bermuda. …
The government needs to carefully consider the long term impact of closing the neighborhood Community primary schools where the highest level of success has occurred partly due to location and size.
Savings must be considered in other ways….such as stop creating more Directors and Officers at the Ministry level as we have yet to see their success rate. Put the Accountability of schools at the Principal level.
We must seek to ensure we do not have a sad state of affairs at the Primary level that we now see at the Middle and High Schools.
Stand Stront St. David’s Primary! If they are going to shut schools down, it MUST be done through consultation with parents, teachers and the community. Minister Scott has put the cart before the horse.
That is exactly what they are doing, but irregardless, there are going to be people unhappy with the decisions that the ministry will have to make. These are tough times and we need to ensure that as much of the money that is being spent on our children’s education, is actually being spent on educating them and not on keeping unneeded facilities running.
Read the whole story.
“…he is sharing the report’s findings, and has “not made a decision regarding school reorganization or school closures”
This is what happens when schools are the first to have their budgets slashed!! I am not surprised. Govt does not value the education of our children and then has the nerve to act surprised when the schools are falling apart and become hazardous!!! Smh!! Shameful!!!
Do you know when the education budget first got slashed?
Learning Lights The Way.