OBA’s Cunningham On Education Concerns
“Government cannot hide behind social media pleasantries while failing to meet the most basic needs of our students,” OBA’s Victoria Cunningham said.
Victoria Cunningham, Opposition Senate Spokesperson for Education, said, “This morning, Bermuda’s public primary school students returned to class. But behind the smiling photo ops and carefully staged opening-day snapshots we will likely see from the Government, the reality for too many families was far less polished.
“Driving past Harrington Sound Primary [our new Parish Primary School], I saw cars parked on what looked more like a jungle than a playing field, grass left unmown and buildings looking unkempt despite an entire summer to prepare. At other schools, parents reported puddles inside classrooms, broken air conditioning, blank walls where welcoming displays should be, and lockers still bearing the names of last year’s students. Broken playground equipment remains untouched, even after PTA teams have fundraised tirelessly to cover what the system should already provide. PTAs should be mobilized to enrich our children’s education, not to patch holes in a mismanaged system.
“Communication has also been a major failure. Parents were left guessing about the first day of school because emails are still bouncing from Government accounts to Gmail and Outlook users, a problem that has persisted since last year. Families who reached out directly to schools were told information would be coming, but for many, it never did. Uniform confusion added to the frustration, highlighting wider issues with how the system is managed at the departmental level.
“This is not good enough. Our children are not second-class citizens. They deserve classrooms that nurture learning, safe play spaces, and teachers who are supported and present from day one. Instead, parents and grandparents dropped their children off today to schools that simply weren’t ready.
“The reality does not match the staged photos and smiling faces the public will see online. Government cannot hide behind social media pleasantries while failing to meet the most basic needs of our students. Our children are our future, and they deserve better, every single day.”
