Bermuda Educators Council To Hold Elections

The Bermuda Educators Council [BEC] will hold elections on Thursday, November 4 to elect 11 members to serve for the 2021-2025 school years.

A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Educators Council will hold elections on Thursday, November 4, 2021 from 4.00pm to 7.00pm in the CedarBridge Academy cafeteria to elect 11 members to serve for the 2021-2025 school years. Educators with a current BEC license card and a valid ID [i.e. driver’s license, passport, or voter ID card] can vote.

“The BEC is comprised of 15 members who serve a four-year term. Through the upcoming November election process, eleven members will comprise the Council, including one principal each from a public and a private school, four teachers from public schools, three teachers from private schools, one paraprofessional, and one teacher with specialist qualifications in teaching students with special education needs.

“The remaining four members have already been appointed by the Minister of Education and represent the interests of employers of educators, parents of pupils and the general public.

“Nominations for eligible candidates will be open until Thursday, October 14, using the nomination forms available via email at becelections@gmail.com. Nominations forms will be received at the BEC office, The Gate House, 81 Court Street, Hamilton, from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. The nominee and proposer must be present for the submission of Nominations.

“The BEC has worked closely with Mr. Michael Smith, Assistant Parliamentary Registrar of the Bermuda Government, to ensure that best practices are followed during the elections. One such enhancement will be the presence of a Returning Officer at the polling station to ensure the integrity of the voting process and the security and counting of ballots.

“The mandate per The Bermuda Educators Council Act, 2002 tasks the BEC with improving the standards of teaching to enhance the quality of learning and maintaining and improving standards of professional conduct of educators, all in the public interest.”

Gladstone Thompson, BEC Chair, said, “The BEC Board has a critical role to play in ensuring that the educators who stand before our most precious resource are adequately credentialed, able to teach and encourage our students to reach their fullest potential. Not only does the BEC ensure adequate credentialing, we demand that educators are engaged in professional development yearly.

“Educators are encouraged to seek nominations in the next election and engage in this noble exercise, and their involvement provides the opportunity to get involved in improving educational standards. This year can arguably be cited as the most critical time in the history of education in Bermuda. The BEC Council needs dedicated educators who are willing to commit to ensuring sustainability and growth for the future.”

The spokesperson said, “Necheeka Trott, BEC Elections Chair, is hopeful that all interested educators will seek nomination and consider running as candidates to support and continue the work of the Council. Come out to cast your vote on November 4 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the CedarBridge Academy cafeteria.”

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