OBA: ‘Ministry Needs To Deal With Conditions’
The Ministry of Education “needs to urgently deal with the teaching conditions at Dellwood School caused by a poorly planned merger with TN Tatem,” Shadow Education Minister Cole Simons said today.
“The teachers at Dellwood School are continuing their work to rule and continue to feel stress caused by cramped quarters and lack of proper IT equipment, which will enable teachers to record the standards based grading assessments which ensure our student performance and outcomes are improved,” Mr Simons said.
“This current situation did not have to occur if the Ministry had dispersed the teachers and students around our Middle Schools on a more equitable basis.
“It is my understanding that Dellwood and Sandys Middle School were the primary recipient of the TN Tatem students and teachers.
“Couldn’t the Government’s distribution be based more on the zoning practices which have proven to be acceptable in the past?
“I have also been advised that the integration plan for the merging of Dellwood and TN Tatem’s students and teachers are woefully deficient.
“When it comes to the current culture from a teaching perspective, the TN Tatem staff feel totally displaced. Some of them still do not have classrooms . All of the teachers at the school are now sharing classrooms .
“They are meeting with students in any room that they can find and or in the library, in whatever space is available. As one teacher said to me, ‘we are all scrambling resources so that we can do a better job in educating our students.’
“In light of this Government’s mismanagement, we now have two middle schools bulging at the seams, and two underutilized middle schools premises which could accommodate more students.
“Again where is the leadership? This situation did not have to happen and it must be remedied.
“I know that the teachers at Dellwood are doing their best given the trying circumstances. They continue to meet regularly with their B.U.T. representative to find ways to address the challenges.
“There is a real sense that these meetings are in held in vain as these challenges remain unresolved. This is exacerbated by the fact that there is very little input from the Ministry in regards to the proper management, implementation and assessment of the Dellwood/TN Tatem school’s integration plan.
“This includes holding people accountable and resolving these space problems and IT deficiencies and dependable and reliable access to Gradebook.
“On another matter, the teachers still have concerns about the health of the physical plant, as they have yet to receive the most recent report which was produced by for the Government’s health and safety officer.
“I have been advised that they have asked for this health and safety report and were advised that it will not be forthcoming.”
Mr. Simons before you run off at your mouth which is kinda late.
Please tell the country what you and your Government did to correct the problems at T N Tatem
As far as the report you had done you did nothing to change the conditions but now your pointing fingers and your report stated the School needed fresh air to help correct the problems.
Did you let the School Principal and teachers know what was written in the report and did you follow up to ensure the changes where made.
As a young person I find you and your OBA Party a bunch of children especially when you had chance to make changes and totally ignored the report you the OBA had done but now try blame PLP for what you didnt do.
If your Party would have spent the same amount of money and energy in Education and Transportaion that you wasted on Americas Cup our children be better off and the rewards be better for our children and Country.
You blame things you didnt fix on PLP but all is good and when I go to the polls i will remember like my class mates will
What time is the March? Or are the children not important enough? Oh wait, thats right – the peoples campaign is not allowed to protest now that a union head is trying to become elected. Strange how the things that were so important just two years ago are suddenly of no concern to the same persons that used to down tools, protest, have sick outs almost monthly.
Goofy
What happened to the Opposition, speaking to the teacher’s union, for a balanced understanding, oppose to one teacher..
There are thousands less students from a decade ago..I’m not a teacher, but busting at the seems, really.. are the teacher to student ratio larger than legally allowed.
If I have learned anything about Bermuda culture.. is we don’t like change.
And we’re more likely to cut off our hands then to adjust to change..
Who moved the cheese. ..I wonder if some teachers are having a difficult time adjusting, to coming into town..
This should not be happening in one of the most wealthy countries in the world. It is an outrage and should not be accepted! Parents need to protest.
Our children are not chickens in a coup!
Former Minister, do recall that you did next to zilch n your capacity as Minister of Education …O.B.A.
What a tragedy your tenure was!!
Recall Dr. Curtis Tweed, principal of Berkeley Institute, explaining at a graduation that when funds were needed from O.B.A., you and your group did nothing.
The irony of it all.
Do tell what was your own obstruction in supplying Berkeley Institute in giving them the necessary funds/ materials needed.