Photos & Videos: Education Meeting In St David’s

February 23, 2016

[Updated] The meeting on the SCORE education report being held this evening, at Clearwater Middle School started off with a group marching to the venue singing “we shall not be moved,” and the meeting is now underway, with the Minister addressing the attendees.

Minister of Education Wayne Scott recently 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.

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Starting this week, the Ministry is holding meetings about the SCORE Report, designed to allow people to share their views. The first one was last night at Sandys Middle School Auditoriun, this evening’s meeting is being held at the Clearwater Middle School Auditorium, and then on Wednesday a meeting will be held at 6pm at the CedarBridge Cafetorium. All consultation submissions are due by March 4th, and can be emailed to educationconsultation@moed.bm.

Update: The full 2-hour video of the meeting

Update 6.21pm: Apologies, but we are having an issue holding connection [happens sometimes!] and the connection will not hold well enough to stream video so we removed it. We will post the recorded version of the video later on however!

Update 8.51am: We are still processing the full video of the meeting, and in the meantime a photo gallery is below

Update 9.52am: The full 2-hour video of the meeting is posted above

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Comments (25)

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  1. Raymond Ray says:

    We shall see…we shall see :-) Do your job Minister W Scott!

    • JMAX says:

      Perhaps the Minister of Education should do his “job” using educational skills and have full consultation meetings with each individual school via PTA meetings before plastering in the news flippant remarks of possibly closing schools on the island. What kind of PR is that? What kind of communication skills does this show? Let’s just take a look at the root problem…it is not our primary schools. It is however how things are being ran by the Ministry of Education!

      • Starting Point says:

        Disingenuous, you would have cried if the report, which the minister said would be released immediately had not been. You might be against closing the school but don’t be cowardly in your approach to the debate.

  2. G Be ready!! says:

    297 for life!!! Stand firm my people!!!

  3. just saying says:

    One thing Bermuda and this Government most know! We in the St. David’s community stick together. We don’t ask the government for nothing… “Maybe cut down the trees growing in the road” And even than we don’t ask the government WE ASK OUR MP LOVITTA FOGGO, AND SHE GETS THE JOB DONE. So I’m saying we are WARRIORS AND KNOW HOW TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES..
    St. David’s primary school WILL NOT CLOSE!!!!!!

    • Islander says:

      I was to the meeting last night and I honestly can say that I was not pleased at all with the way Aunt Peggy carried herself minutes into the meeting (Lady, I don’t know how long you were planted in St David’s but here’s a lil note to you – we do not conduct ourselves in that manner). There was Lovitta walking around the building saying to herself, why aren’t people standing up, I don’t understand it. When I saw Lou in the midst, I immediately thought of the failed PLP attempt with their Pathways to Careers. Well I heard one lady say that we learn by hearing and I appreciated that to be true. I will always remember Mrs. Helene Paynter who taught at the school for many years who taught many Islander children who did and have done very well, who sacrificed many hours for the sake of her students by marking test papers, the daily class work, preparing her room for the next day and so on. Many teachers leave the building behind the students. I am very proud of our Children’s success’s at the School and try to keep tabs on them as they go from school to school. I would like to see test results of each school in each Zone in the media, notices of PTA Meetings in St David’s as I don’t feel there is a complete partnership with the Community and the Community with the school. Many were pleased with the presentation by the Committee from the School and others who stood. I know Mr. Wright was pleased to hear the test results of the school since his retiring from the School as Principal. Now back to Aunt Peggy, back in the day you would have been asked to pack her gear and head out of the Reserve. Again, we learn by hearing/listening and people wonder why our children at least some of them carry themselves as this lady did last night. Be examples to our children throughout this Island by showing respect, yes, make a stand and be prepared to listen to the whole story and not just what you want to hear. We have the following Church’s in our Community who have embraced our school’s St Luke’s AME, Chapel of Ease, Glory Temple, Open Doors Christian Ministry, The St David’s Seventh Day Adventist Church in one way or another are they reaching out and continue to do so to the Schools and I encourage Companies in the East End to reach out and touch. And as far as Lovitta doing her job,really, when was the last time you took a walk around the Island. When was the last time she has been seen in the Community before this situation came about. Politics does not mix well with many things and I trust the chanting, shouting, banging and so on will not be a steady happening in St David’s as we are better than that. We are a proud people, let us show that as only we can. 297 for LIFE

    • Islander says:

      I didn’t see Lovitta cutting no trees or trimming the weeds back when our roads were terribly over grown. To those persons who did, Thank you

  4. Happy days are coming says:

    You will be moved when the oba grants me my Bermuda status and beautiful passport for being long term. :)

    • Truth is killin' me... says:

      Keep baiting people. Karma will bite you. Watch out!

    • JMAX says:

      What kind of person are you? You do realize that when you become a long term resident of BERMUDA, the effects of our children’s education will affect you as they will be the future leaders of this country. I would choose your words wisely, as I too am an expat awaiting my status.

  5. whose on third says:

    We do appreciate you Bernews. We can always count on you bringing us current news.

  6. Hmnmm says:

    I do agree that the closing of schools are a sensitive matter. However, I do not agree involving children in the protests. I do realize that it is most probably done for maximum effect.

    Not sure that they are old enough to understand all the reasons for the decision of the Department of Education.

    • JMAX says:

      Well as a parent of children at Gilbert Institute, my children do understand and will voice their opinions. For the record, it is a rally in support of keeping the school they attend open. Not a protest.

  7. HISTORY says:

    Almost every major aspect of our bermudian way of life is being turned upside down and to our detriment by THE OBA.

    Expats are the only ones benefiting from this OBA -

    • JMAX says:

      Let us not forget how the country came into debt…it was at least a decade ago and OBA wasn’t even organized then.

      I do agree however that the solution to this predicament should not be forced upon the education of BERMUDA.

    • Izzypop says:

      You mean those people who rent our homes, eat in our restaurants. Drive on our roads. Put money in our economy. What a dumb comment. Remember the last time we pushed the foreigners away what happened. Think before u speak.

    • Starting Point says:

      Stockholm Syndrome – you were lied to and hand fed by the PLP for 12 years and now have come to love your oppressor.

      the PLP ignored the economy, ignored the signs, ignored the experts and acted as arrogant children. We never had the money to afford the civil service that the PLP put in place to buy votes, we never had the money for the initiatives the PLP rolled out, we never dealt with the root causes of our education crisis.

    • Concerned says:

      What irks me to no end is that the PLP in their tenure tore our families apart, destroyed our people’s employment, marriages, caused lots of heart aches, bought on confusion amongst our families, friends and Ex-Pats as they had to pack up and leave causing our businesses to close and many leaving. The OBA have to take severe stances to get us back to where we were being comfortable in our homes, the streets being safe, our children not hungry, families living happily. Gang violence came about. Many lives were completely torn and tattered yet the PLP were walking around waving and smiling at many they were hurting. Wake up people, the hand you thought was helping actually broke you and broke you bad.

  8. JMAX says:

    The Minister of Education and the SCORE committee really should have been CLEAR with why this “report” really was done. Is it really for the betterment of our children’s education or is it for their financial mishap?

    Furthermore, a round table meeting with each group zone is ridiculous. Out of the importance this will be on each school, the Minister of Education SHOULD HAVE HAD A PTA MEETING WITH EACH SCHOOL.

  9. somuchless says:

    One poster says. You will not close our school. What a strong statement.

  10. Izzypop says:

    Oh lookie. Ms Burns marching here too. Can always count on her.

    • Peggy Burns says:

      Izzypop, I, Peggy Burns, stand for the principles of MAAT–which should be like God–omnipresent, but unfortunately isn’t Bermuda’s reality (non-existent within a certain group of people)! g.h&fgr!

  11. Jean Foggo Simon says:

    There are many graduates from St. David’s School who have gone on to successful careers. We have to honor those who came before us who fought tooth and nail to get that school built on SDI. Our education has always been paramount in this community and hopefully it will continue. There is nearly 200 years of history that will be wiped out if this school is closed. I’m not referring to the building itself, but the quest of our families to ensure their children received an education just like everyone else in Bermuda. I remember marching with great pride from old St. Luke’s School (Mr. Hilton Richardson) to our new St. David’s School as a student of one of the first classes held there. I am saddened by this news and pray that something can and will be worked out.

  12. Bullseye says:

    If you have two schools operating below 50% capacity why is it a sin to merge them? I know no one wants to lose their school but you can’t run all of them well beneath capacity and that is the reality. I think you should teach kids to face reality and not hide from it.

  13. overboardhope says:

    I feel that children should have smaller sized classes, so that little Johnny, and Jane don’t fall through that cracks.