March 8, 2017

Just before we start, I would like to
welcome to the House the Primary 3 class from Elliot
Primary, and their teachers. We welcome them.
[Desk t
humping]
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
MARCH 3 and 6
2017
The Speake
r: The Minutes of the 3rd and 6th of March
have been distributed and confirmed, unless there are
any objections or changes.
There are none; the Minutes of March 3rd and
6th are confirmed.
[Minut
es of 3 and 6 March 2017 confirmed]
MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR
The S peaker
: There are none.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER
OR MEMBER PRESIDING
The Speake
r: There are none.
MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE
The Speake
r: There are none.
PAPERS AND OTHER
COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE
The Sp
eaker: The Chair will recognise the Honour able Minister of Finance, E. T. Richards. GOVERNMENT FEES AMENDMENT
REGULATIONS 2017
Hon. E
. T. (Bob) Richards: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and
submit for the consideration of the Honourable House
of Assembly the Government Fees Amendment Regulations 2017, with the Governor’s recommendation
signified.
The Speake
r: All right. Thank you, Minister.
PETITIONS
The Speake
r: There are none.
STATEMENTS BY
AND JUNIOR MINISTERS
The Speake
r: There are none.
REPORTS OF CO MMITTEES
The Speake
r: There are none.
QUESTION PERIOD
The Speake
r: There are no questions.
CONGRATULATORY AND/OR
OBITUARY SPEECHES
The Speake
r: There are none.
MATTERS OF PRIVILEGE
The Speake
r: There are none.
PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
The Speake r: There are none.
912 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly NOTICE OF MOTIONS FOR THE
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
ON MATTERS OF URGENT
PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Honourable Members, we are now in
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the y ear


Bermuda House of A ssembly [2017/18] . This morning we will consider the Ministry
of Education. Those respective heads are 16, 17, and
41.
At this time, the Chair will recognise the Minister for Education, the Honourable Cole Simons, to
proceed.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chair man, I move
Heads 16, 17, 41, Ministry of Education Headquarters,
Department of Education, and the Bermuda College.

HEAD 16—MINISTRY HEADQUARTERS
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, today I pr esent the budget for the Ministry of Education, which
compri ses the Ministry Headquarters, Head 16; the
Department of Education, Head 17; and the Bermuda College, Head 41. The 2017/18 Budget for the Mini stry of Education of $126,991,000 is found on page B -
114 of the Approved Estimates of Revenue and Ex-penditure.
M r. Chairman, the education of our children is
fundamental to producing decent, productive, positive, and respectful citizens. Education is also fundamental to shaping, both locally and globally, a preferred direction for the future of our Island. Our education system must therefore be one that ensures our students are
equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to
be successful in a rapidly changing society. Progress in learning is strengthened when our students, par-ents, teachers, principals, support staff , and broader
community all have a clear understanding of w hat
must be done to achieve their chosen future for Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, I will commence the Budget
Debate with the Ministry of Education Headquarters.
The Mission [Statement] as stated on page B -115 is,
To provide strategic leadership, supervision and policy
direction that supports quality delivery in teaching, and
an inclusive and progressive learning environment to improve student learning and achievement for every child.
The Ministry ’s objectives are:
• to develop strategic policy for the public
school education system that improves teac hing and learning in the classroom;
• to implement policies focused on enhancing
parental and community involvement and par-ticipati on in the education system; and
• to support schools by ensuring that the range
of diverse services needed are provided across the education system .
In this regard, Mr. Chairman, during the
2016/ 17 fiscal year the Ministry of Education team
focused on the development and implementati on of
key initiatives that help support the overall achiev ement and success of public school students. These include the development of new scholarship and
awards offerings; the establishment of the Parental
Involvement Committee, as legislated under the E ducation Act; and the preparation and pre- planning for
the formulation of a new s trategic plan.
Mr. Chairman, let me first report on the new
scholarships and awards offerings. Through its scholarships and awards schemes, the Ministry of Educ ation continues its commitment to provide financial support for students undertaking tertiary education. Historically, each year the Ministry has funded the Bermuda Government Scholarships, the Further Edu-cation Awards, Mature Student Awards , and Teacher
Training Awards . In 2016, approximately 230 applic ations were received from students requesting financial support. The Ministry funded a total of 24 Bermuda Government Scholarships in 2016, comprising new,
existing , and extended awards. Additionally, 24 further
education awards were issued, as well as three Mature Student Awards and four Teacher Training Awards .
Mr. Chairman, I must commend the Ministry
staff who put forth to expand the scholarship offerings. The majority of these new scholarships will not only
require that applicants demonstrate financial need, but
will also consider student s’ talent, growth, perseverance, their innovation, creativity, and an interest and
willingness to give back to Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, the new scholarship and award
opportunities are being offered to promising students
for both local and overseas studies and are as follows:
• the Minister’s Achievement Scholarship for
graduating public school students;
• the Minister’s Merit Scholarship for graduating senior school students in financial need;
• the Minister’s Technical and Vocational Award
for graduating public school students , or recent public school alumni attending Bermuda
College, with a strong interest in t echnical and
vocational studies; and
• the Minister’s Exceptional Student Award for
graduating students , or school leavers , with
disabilities.
Mr. Chairman, the development of these new
scholarships and awards was a collaborative undertaking. Ministry of Education staff engaged the Board
of Education and its Scholarships and Awards Subcommittee, the Bermuda College, senior school pri ncipals, counsellors, parents , and scholarship foundations and committees. In addition to engaging key
stakeholders, the Ministry also conducted reviews of
local policies and legislation, as well as other loc al
scholarships and awards, including those from indus-try, private foundations and Government -provided
funding opportunities for post -secondary education
and training.
Mr. Chairman, the design of the new scholarships and awards also benefited from prior and ongo-ing advocacy from parents and educators, who e n914 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly couraged the Ministry to provide greater opportunities
to traditionally underserved students, particularly
those with disabilities, learning or otherwise.
During the Ministry’s efforts to expand and
diversify its scholarships and awards offerings, an
idea was born —to collaborate and bring together
leaders who are on the ground in scholarship design,
giving, and direct student support , to discuss existing
efforts and how to grow and sustain success into the
future.
I am heartened by the recognition by many in
the community, especially the donor community , on
the need to help Bermudians, including those who
have been traditionally underrepresented, to attend
post-secondary education with both public and private
support. We are immensely proud of the new scholarships and awards offering s, but also recognise that
this is the continuance of a much larger process —to
improve the post -secondary opportunities for all Bermudians.
Mr. Chairman, these new and diver se scho larships and awards are long overdue, and I am very
pleased by the expanded offerings , particularly for our
school students who pursue tertiary studies in the v ocational trades and those with disabilities.
Mr. Chairman, the deadline for applying for
any scholarship and award offered by the Ministry of Education is March 31
st, 2017. I n light of this, I e ncourage parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, Go dparents, families, friends, mentors, et cetera, to urge
potential applicants —especially those who m ay not
think that there is a scholarship or award for them —to
review all of the offerings from the Ministry of Educ ation and other organisations on www. Bermudascholarships.com
and apply where el igible.
Mr. Chairman, I now move to the establis hment of the Parental Involvement Committee. A parental involvement committee will be put in place so that the voices of parents can be heard and strengt hened beyond individual schools and across the public
education system. The Parental Involvement Commit-tee is a new team of parents , being created to work
alongside the Commissioner of Education and our
school leaders, and it will also help improv e student
achievement, our schools , and our public education
system.
Parents will be appointed to this committee
following a selection and appointment process adapted from the Human Rights Commission, wher eby a selection team is put in place to solicit applic ations for the Parental Involvement Committee. This selection team is made up of parents, community
members, a Board of Education member , and a Mini stry staff member. I am pleased that we are undertak-ing an open process that is inviting parents to put their names forward for consideration through a simple a pplication process. We genuinely value parents and are creating
a vehicle for their voices to be heard. The Parental Involvement Committee will give parents meaningful opportuniti es to make a difference not just for their
children, but for children and schools across our pub-lic education system.
Mr. Chairman, all parents of public school
students will be given a chance to be considered for the Parental Involvement Committee, as the aim of
the Ministr y is to have a Parental Involvement Committee that reflects the collective capacity and diversity of the public education system. The Ministry continues to wor k on the establishment of the committee. This
week I will provide greater detail on the launch of the
Parental Involvement Committee in a Ministerial Statement.
Mr. Chairman, the Strategic Plan 2010/15 entitled Blueprint for Reform in Education expired for the
Bermuda Public School System. However, the Board
of Education is legislated under the Education Act
1996 to make recommendations regarding a stat ement of vision, values , and strategy for public educ ation. As such, the Board of Education has undertaken
to steer the development of a new multi- year strategic
plan for our public school system. The planning for this initiative commenced in August 2016. It is the board’s desire to have a high- quality strategic pla nning process designed to produce not only a sustai nable strategy , but also one that promotes authentic
stakeholder and community engagement supported
and enacted by Bermudians. Therefore, the board
commenced a search in November 2016 to find a f acilitator experienced in the development of communi-ty-based strategic plans for public education systems.

Excuse me, Minister. Can we j ust
take a second here, sir?
Members, can we just get the voices down, or
eliminated? Because it is interfering with the ability of
all of the Members to hear what the Minister has to say, what he is presenting. It is very important. We are
dealing with the Ministry of Educ ation. And I would
encourage all of those, including those in the Gallery,
just to keep their voices down or to refrain from spea king at all at this time. Thank you.
You may resume now, Minister.

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, this strategic
planning effort will be unique, as the action plans and
strategies will be based on the collective voices of
Bermudians. Using engaged collaboration with neigh-bourhood partners, individuals passionate about edu-cation , and community leaders , we will listen intently
to our families through a number of structured co mmunity conversations. These conversations will ha ppen across the entire Island, east, west, and central.
The combined information obtained from these con-versations will form a “ commun ity agreement, ” which
will be the basis for developing a multiyear strategic


Bermuda House of A ssembly plan for our school system. Everyone is welcome and
encouraged to participate as we work together for the
betterment of our education system.
Mr. Chairman, individuals who care deeply
about the future of education in Bermuda, who believe in the power of public engagement and who are willing to listen and capture the perspectives of Bermudians
will be trained as volunteer community facilitators and placed in every parish to hold the small group conve rsations. This information- gathering process will e nsure we reach those genuinely concerned about ed ucation.
Thus, the strategic planning process will engage students, parents, educators (current and for-mer), community advocates, business persons, entr epreneurs, alumni, residents who live in the neighbourhoods of our schools —namely , everyone who is part
of a school community or has a stake in the future of public education. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the conversation on public
school education. This will help us to ensure that the strategic plan for our public schools is comprehensive and benefits from the value added from our communi-ty in addressing the educational needs of our children.
Mr. Chairman, this week information meetings
have been scheduled with the Ministry’s key stak eholders , which include the Board of Education me mbers, unions, Bermuda College representatives, pri ncipals, teachers, s chool boards, community partners,
Ministry and department al staff, and Parent Councils
and PTA e xecutives. This Ministry is helping to pr ogress this work with the Board of Education for the development of a strategic direction for our public schools.
Mr. Chairman, the 2017/18 budget allocation
for the Ministry of Education Headquarters is
$2,414,000. This higher level of funding is a reflection
of monies allocated for the continued development and delivery of this strategic plan, the implementation
and operation of the Parental Involvement Committee, the offering of scholarships and awards to our st udents , and the distributi on of external grants to organisations directly involved in supporting public school education —

[Inaudible interjections]

[Gavel]

Members, if you could please keep
your voices down so the Minister can present to the
House. Please. Is it a little too loud over there, Mem-bers? Thank you.

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, on page B -
116, t he last line item of $1,737,000—again,
$1,737,000— has been budgeted for Grants and Co ntributions. This is the same as last year, of which
$537,000 will be used for Grants to External Bodies , while $1,220,000 has been allocated for Scholarships and Awards. Again, this Government has committed
$1.2 million for Scholarships and Awards for our pe ople.
Mr. Chairman, I have been the Minister of E ducation for just under two weeks now and would like
to acknowledge the three staff in the Ministry who
have provided me with strong support thus far. The
work carried out by this team that has been already shared testifies to their commitment to the mission of the Ministry.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This concludes my
remarks for the Ministry Headquarters.

HEA D 17— DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, I now pr esent the budget for Head 17, the Department of Ed ucation . I will also speak to the d epartment’s plans for
the upcoming year. Page B- 114 shows that a total of
$109,096,000 has been allocated for fiscal year
2017/18. On page B -118, the mission of the Depar tment of Education is stated as follows : The Bermuda
Public School System will deliver a rigorous curric ulum to meet the needs of individual students, using challenging learning experiences, appropriate as-sessments, and efficient support that holds all ac-countable for a quality education in the 21
st century.
The specific objectives of the Department are:
• to provide comprehensive student services,
curriculum and school support for interven-tions so that student s’ academic and behavioural needs are identified and supported;
• to support schools in improving the quality of
teaching and learning in order that students reach their highest potential; and
• to provide leadership expertise and capacity -
building opportunities for system and school leaders in order to improve student outcomes.
Mr. Chairman, without a doubt we are facing
challenging times, but our resolve continues to be
strong. Public education is an imperative and a duty not only of this Government, but for our entire soci ety—it is an awesome and collective responsibility. We
will continu e to improve and transform , and we will
overcome obstacles through the collaboration, cooperation, and support of those within the public education community —i.e., the students, teachers, support staff, principals, department staff , and, of course,
families and community organisations.
The Bermuda Public School System is an i nclusive one, and of this we are quite proud. “ Inclusive ”
means that we welcome all students from all bac kgrounds and all abilities. It is our obligation not only to
accept all students, but to serve their needs no matter
their interests, aspirations , or abilities.
With this in mind, to meet our obligations, the
budget
has been spent wisely. In doing so, during the
916 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly 2016/17 fiscal year the Department of Education has
been focused on:
• developing critical and creative thinkers
through early childhood inquiry;
• opening up the world for children through
reading and deepening literacy skills through
the Literacy Strategy;
• growing our problem -solving capabilities
through the Mathematics Strategy;
• providing more high- quality placement options
through the introduction of the Success Acad-emy for students who require additional and more intensive supports to their learning ability;
• investing in the quality of teaching through intentional and (job) embedded professional development;
• introducing standards -based grading to pr ovide fairer and more accurate assessments of
student achievement to drive student growth, and of parent and student understanding of
what students know and can do;
• providing meaningful opportunities for tec hnical and career education through the Career
Pathways Programme; and
• better coordination with the Ministry of Public
Works to improve the quality of our school f acilities for students , and their teachers and
principals .
Mr. Chairman, these efforts are bearing fruit
every day as we develop skilled and well -rounded
students and graduates. In our commitment to get it right for every child, we must continuously improve, and we are therefore strengthening our relationships and partnerships to achieve this aim. Educators are
working alongside parents and community organis ations to help develop our greatest human investments,
our children. As we continue our investment in Ber-muda’s young people and social development, I trust that we can count on the support, advice and en-gagement of all those who have a stake in our educ ation system.
Mr. Chairman, I will now present in greater
detail the expenditures of cost centres that fall under Head 17. Let me start with Central Administration on page B -119.

Programme 1701—Central Administration

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, this pr ogramme provides a core part of the administrative
function to support our public schools in the education
system. I will share the specific details on what was
spent this current fiscal year and what will be spent in the upcoming budget year by the Department.
Cost Centre 27000—General Administration,
on page B -119. Mr. Chairman, the monies budgeted
for cost centre 27000, General Administration, will
cover the inventory purchases of educational and of-fice supplies for the school year. Other administrative expenses covered include freight charges, customs
duty and shipping costs.
Cost Centre 27001—Office of the Commissioner, on page B -119. Mr. Chairman, cost centre
27001 holds the budget for the Office of the Commi ssioner. This cost centre primarily funds the salaries of
the Commissioner of Education and two direct reports,
the Director of Academics, and the Director of Educ ational Standards and Accountability. The administr ative and operational costs to support the Office of the Commissioner are also included.
Cost Centre 27030—Human Resources, on
page B -119. Mr. Chairman, this cost centre funds the
salaries of professional, technical and administrative staff i n the Human Resources Section. During this
current 2016/2017 budget year, this section continued the delivery of HR functions and services to meet the business needs of the Education Department and
public schools. These included annual recruitment of
operational and recruitment of educational staff, e mployee relations, employee appraisals, succession
planning, staff recognition, and training and develop-ment.
Mr. Chairman, in honour of and appreciation
for 25 retirees from the education system, a retirement
reception was held at the Bermuda National Art Gal-lery at the City Hall. It was a heart -warming event and
a special way to thank all those who had committed several years serving the Bermuda Public School Sy stem and our students.
Mr. Chairman, at the start of the school year
in September 2016, more than 30 new teachers r ecruited for the 2016/17 school year attended a two-day orientation programme at the Grotto Bay Hotel. It is a well- known fact that how employees are we lcomed into an organisation plays a significant part in
their success. The two- day session was comprehensive and set the pace for a successful transition of our new teachers into the Bermuda Public School System.
Mr. Chairman, the orientation session provi ded teachers with an overview of the Teacher Perfor-mance Evaluation Programme, which gives them an indication of how they would be evaluated and the standards of expected performance. A total of 15 new Bermudian teachers participated in an additional ses-sion with the department’s mentor teachers, who gave
a detailed account of how they will be supported. And
during the course of the school year they will also be provided guidance for their success.
Mr. Chairman, understanding the culture and
diversity of an organisation impacts positively on the quality of communication, engagement and the standard of productivity. As such, it was critical to introduce
new teachers to Bermudian culture and diversity. Par-ticipants received valuable tips on how to communi-cate effectively with internal and external clients, and maintain healthy professional relationships.


Bermuda House of A ssembly The orientation also assisted our new teac hers in effectively navigating the public school system.
This orientation included presentations from sections within the Department of Education such as Curric ulum & Assessment, Student Services, Information Technology and Human Resources. Additionally, the Accountant General’s Department, the Bermudian
Union of Teachers and the principals’ division of the
Bermuda Public Services Union also presented, sharing with new teachers how each organisation will sup-port teachers.
Lastly, the orientation session engaged our
teachers in SCARS training—that is, Saving Children
and Revealing Secrets. Mr. Chairman, as we seek to
protect the well -being of our children, the SCARS
training is a necessary and critical component and has been made mandatory for all teachers.
Mr. Chairman, a policy and procedural doc ument has been developed for the design of a succession planning framework for the Department of Educ ation. The framework will be designed in phases and
will identify staff for key positions in the department,
currently held or to be held by non- Bermudians, and
posts that will soon become vacant due to natural r etirement of officers. Clearly defined career track s will
be developed to facilitate the professional develo pment of our employees, underscoring the importance of employee promotion from within the Department of Education. At this stage, the Human Resource Sec-tion is developing the first phase of the succession
plan. Subsequent phases of the succession plan will
continue into the 2017/18 fiscal year and will be struc-tured to align with the outcomes of the department’s strategic plan.
Cost Centre 27031— School Improvement,
found on page B -119. Mr. Chairman, this cost centre
funds the salaries of four mentor teachers. However, it also provides the primary source of funding for trai ning, re- training and professional development arising
from the system improvement plan and school i mprovement plans.
Mr. Chairman, the department remains committed to continuous improvement as articulated in the school improvement plans, which drive school and system changes. The funds allocated under this cost centre will allow the department to support ongoing improvement initiatives such as the national math and
literacy strategies, implementation of the multi -tiered
system of supports, principal learning and teacher
professional development.
Cost Centre 27090— Educational Standards
and Accountability, found on page B -119. Mr. Cha irman, the Educational Standards and Accountability
Section of the department has oversight for our 18
primary schools, five middle schools, two senior sec-ondary schools, and special schools. This team co mprises three assistant directors, who supervise school principals to ensure quality standards of teaching and leadership in the classroom. The assistant directors, under the leadership
of the Director of Educational Standards and A ccountability, are charged with supporting the growth and development of all schools in each of the three zones: East, Central and West. The team continues to engage in school -site supervision and improvement
via building walkthroughs and observations, instructional rounds, providing professional development at
individual schools , and holding regular meetings with
school principals and their leadership teams.
Cost Centre 27095— School Attendance,
again found on page B -119. Mr. Chairman, cost centre 27095, School Attendance, funds the salaries of a
school registration and attendance co- ordinator and
four school attendance officers. It is their responsibility
to ensure that children of compulsory school age are in school on a daily basis. The school registration and attendance co- ordinator also oversees the annual
school registration operation for the enrolment of chi ldren in all of government’s public schools.
Cost Centre 27160— Substitutes [page B -
119]. Mr. Chairman, schools have a genuine need for coverage of teachers who are either sick or who need to take time away from school for various personal
reasons, or as per their collective bargaining agreement. When teachers are away from school, our st udents still need to be taught and supervised. Cons equently, there is a critical need to budget effectively for the cost of substitute teaching, for which there con-tinues to be an increased need every year. Allocated
substitute teachers, who are assigned to specific
schools, and on- call substitute teachers (those called
in on a day -to-day basis) are funded from this cost
centre. Mr. Chairman, the Department’s Human R esource Section works in conjunction with school pri ncipals and pre- school administrators to secure subst itute coverage. A substitute teacher list is maintained and circulated to schools by the HR Section. Princ ipals and pre- school administrators are empowered to
directly contact substitute teachers on the list when the need arises.
Mr. Chairman, the pool of substitute teachers
comprises certified and uncertified teachers. Certified substitutes hold a bachelor’s degree and possess a teacher’s certification. However, uncertified subst itutes hold a bachelor’s degree, but do not possess a teacher’s certification. For this reason, uncertified
substitutes are assigned when schools have a need
for five or fewer consecutive days. Certif ied substitute
teachers are given longer terms of assignment.
Mr. Chairman, we are pleased to share that
during this school year a specialised orientation wor kshop was held for uncertified substitute teachers,
which included the following:
• Introduction to the Bermuda Public School
System;
• Expectations for Substitute Teachers;
• School Routines and Procedures;
• Ethics in the School Environment;
918 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Classr oom Management;
• Understanding the Developing Child;
• Supporting Learning and Communicating with
Students; and
• Developing the Substitute Teacher Tool Box.
This orientation workshop for uncertified substitute teachers has proven to be a step in the right
direction. Several young Bermudian degree- holders
who participated in the workshop were encouraged, challenged and stimulated by the information provi ded. They have subsequently expressed an interest in pursuing a teacher certification to make education their career. This is good for them, and this is good for Bermuda, Mr. Chairman.
This cost centre has been underfunded during
the past two fiscal years, as the department strateg ically endeavoured to cover any absences first inter-nally. However, due to the increasing needs of our
students, the pool of internal resources did not meet the widespread need. As such, the budget allocation has been adjusted accordingly. Therefore, $2,100,000
has been allocated for the 2017/18 budget year.
Mr. Chairman, the overall budget for the continued execution of these administrative core functions
and services in the Central Administration programme is $5,777,000 for the 2017/18 fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, let me now share the activities
of a section within the department that delivers a vast array of supports for our children—that is, the Student Services.

Programme 1702— Student Servic es

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, the various
levels of interventions provided to our students by the
Student Services Section ensure that we maintain our
commitment to the whole child (mind, body, heart and
spirit), and every child, in all the services provided. In alignment with this commitment, the Student Services
Section facilitates the provision of 11 programmes that support the diverse special needs of our student popu lation. These services include
1. gifted and talented education
2. behaviour management
3. school psychological services
4. adapted physical education services
5. deaf and hard- of-hearing support
6. visually impaired support services
7. special education [ also referred to as learning
support]
8. counselling services
9. paraprofessionals ’ support services
10. autism spectrum disorder (ASD) intervention;
11. alternative education and out of school sus-pension.
These programmes are dynamic in nature and
a critical success factor in the public educational sy stem. The professionals responsible for the delivery of student services, including special education/learning support and specialist teachers, school counsellors,
school psychologists, educational therapists, educ ation therapy assistants and para- educators, spend the
majority of their working hours at various schoo ls in
the educational system.
Mr. Chairman, to improve the quality of services provided by the Student Services Section, each student with special education needs is provided with
an individual education plan [IEP]. Student Services utilises a specialised web-based system to ensure
that each student is supported by valid data. The sy stem aids the improvement of education and special services to students, and serves as an effective accountability tool for monitoring. Intervention needs are
implemented in a timely manner to continually support the growth of students who have IEP’s. During the 2017/18 fiscal year, we will institute the ongoing sy stem maintenance, training and updates to ensure that the system continues to meet the needs of our st udents in a sustainable manner.
Mr. Chairman, I will take this opportunity to
dive a little deeper into each of the Student Services programmes so that we can see the aggregate contr ibution of each programme and strengthen our understanding of the role and contribution of Student Services in the public education system.
Cost Centre 27061 —Behaviour Management,
found on page B -119. Mr. Chairman, the Behaviour
Management cost centre funds the salaries of educ ational therapists who provide a wide range of intensive support services for students with learning disabilities,
differences and challenges. These interventions are
individualised and unique to the specific learner.
There has been a strong increase in the number of students identified as at -risk as a result of untreated traumas across the Island. The interventions
that they provide are designed to remediate learning
problems, and as a result the services provided by educational therapists are critical success factors to the department’s multi -tiered system of support
framework [MTSS]. Mr. Chairman, this cost centre
funds behaviour therapists for preschool and primary
schools, as well as one Education Officer for Beha viour Management. In addition, this cost centre funds our Alternative Education Programme, which facil itates suitable alternative education environments for students with behaviour challenges.
Cost Centre 27063— School Psychology,
again found on page B- 119. Mr. Chairman, pr ogramme 27063 includes our school psychologists, who play a vital role in the execution of our aims and objectives, and supports our commitment to all st udents in the public education system. Our school ps ychologists support school administrators and students in the areas of student behaviour, mental health and learning. They deliver comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations. They provide consultations, short -term counselling, and intervention and preventive services across the system.


Bermuda House of A ssembly Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education
will recruit another school psychologist to add to the
Schoo l Psychologist Unit. This addition enhances our
ability to meet the therapeutic needs of our students across the system. Additionally, this increase in c apacity will enable us to positively influence and assist students who have or who are experiencing any trauma-based issues. This will support the best use of our
resources in a way that reinforces the department’s restorative model while meeting the specialised needs of each student in the public school system.
Mr. Chairman, during the 2016/17 academic
year, the department commenced the implementation
of the MTSS (or Multi -Tiered System of Support)
framework, and Inclusive and Special Education Di scussion Paper Priorities. The MTSS Charter this year will increase the capacity of all educators to have spe-cific and intentional documentation to support st udents in addressing academic, social and emotional
challenges. In addition, this initiative will assist with
ensuring that there is adequate documentation of i ntervention strategies and that a problem -solving approach is used to determine when a student is stru ggling due to innate challenges versus lack of quality
instruction.
Mr. Chairman, this cost centre funds seven
school psychologist posts who work across all schools
and at every level. As stated earlier, during the 2017/18 fiscal year, an additional school psychologist will be recruited. A primary function of the psychol ogist will be clinical in nature and will enable support in our growing needs to respond promptly to students
who are assessed as at-risk. The department will
move closer towards having the resources needed to
support our capacity for meeting the social, emotional and academic needs of our students across the
breadth of the public school system.
Cost Centre 27064— Adapted Physical Ed ucation, again found on B -119. Mr. Chairman, Adapted
Physical Education is another Student Services pr ogramme that supports students with specific needs by providing access to services that, through modific ations —adapt to—meet the needs of those students.
Theref ore, Adaptive Physical Education could be considered the art and science of developing, implementing and monitoring a carefully designed physical ed ucation instructional program for a learner with special
needs.
To promote the physical fitness and wellnes s
of these students to get active and stay active,
Adapted Physical Education is based on a compr ehensive assessment to give the learner the skills nec-essary for a lifetime of rich leisure, recreation, sport
and long- term life experiences. This programme pr ovides the adaptive support necessary to integrate
these students into the regular physical education programme if and when it is deemed appropriate, and promotes an opportunity for a healthier lifestyle for these students. Mr. Chairman, recent statistics show that
there has been a significant increase in the number of young people who have been identified as needing these services. In response to this reality, one add itional adapted physical education officer will be r ecruited during the 2017/18 fiscal year in an effort to ensure that caseload numbers are appropriate to
meet the growing demand and complex needs of
these students.
Cost Centre 27065 —Hearing [page B -119].
Mr. Chairman, the Deaf and Hard- of-Hearing Pr ogramme provides student with academic instruction within the public schools’ general curriculum through
services that support each student’s learning needs
as determined by their individual education plan. Mr. Chairman, for children who are deaf or hard- ofhearing, to allow them to receive higher quality levels of service, there has been designated at every educ ational level, from preschool through to senior school
level, four schools to provide children with these support services. These schools are Prospect Preschool, Gilbert Institute, Dellwood Middle School and Cedar-Bridge Academy.
In this current 2016/17 academic year, there
are seven students enrolled at Gilbert Institute, one at Prospect Preschool and one at Dellwood, who are receiving academic and sign language communication support. In addition, to ensure that the total environ-ment is aligned to best practices, these students’ classroom teachers are also provided with information
and support. In addition, there are two students at
Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, and one student who receives direct one- on-one hearing instruction
and support services at both Somerset Primary School and Harrington Sound Primary School.
Additionally, the Education Officer for Special
Education worked directly with deaf and hard- ofhearing para- educators to ascertain future braille
training needs for para- educators who will support
current and new students in the programme. Without the opportunity to train new para- educators, there will
be few staff members able to provide the appropriate level of support for students who are deaf or hard- ofhearing. The current numbers indicate that students in our system continue to need ongoing support of deaf and hard- of-hearing services despite social impacts
that influence older students to use less assistive
technology.
Mr. Chairman, during the upcoming 2017/18
fiscal year, the Multi -Tiered System of Support will
present an increased opportunity for deaf and hard- ofhearing staff to provide intervention services training
and consultative training to general education teac hers. Also, para- educators and teachers will need specific training and professional development to e nhance their skills in the deaf and hard- of-hearing field,
in particular with the identification of needs, writing appropriate goals and objectives, collaborating with
920 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly other teachers, and the use and implementation of
assistive communications technology.
Mr. Chairman, this cost centre funds salaries
for three deaf and hard- of-hearing teachers who serve
approximately 25 students in the deaf and hard- ofhearing programme at all levels [preschool through
senior school]. Additional budgeted funds are used for content and disability -specific resources and mater ials, hearing aids and equipment, and consultant [a udiology] services.
Cost Centre 27066—Vision, again found on
B-119. Mr. Chairman, I would now move on to line
item 27066 on page B -119, which is the Vision cost
centre. It is a well -documented and understood fact
that students with visual impairments have unique
educational needs which are most effectively met by
using a team approach of professionals, parents and students. In order to meet their unique needs, st udents must have specialised services, books and m aterials in appropriate media (i.e., braille), as well as specialised equipment and technology, to assure equal access to the core and specialised curricula, and to enable them to most effectively compete with their peers in school and, ultimately, in society.
Mr. Chairman, this centre funds the salaries of
three teachers of the visually impaired, who teach medically diagnosed students who are visually im-paired, blind, or have low vision. These teachers are responsible for all levels and teach the Cambridge Curriculum, as well as compensatory skills, to help the
students function and thrive in a regular classroom
environment and, ultimately, in the world. Students who receive services from this programme continue to benefit from school, family and community support.
Mr. Chairman, the funds in this cost centre also cover the cost of assessment materials and braille
equipment to support the needs and provide vision instruction and services for a caseload of 72 students. These students in the vision programme were provi ded with the necessary supports, as indicated on their individualized education plans and vision assessment
recommendations.
Cost Centre 27069—Gifted and Talented,
again found on page B- 119. Mr. Chairman, the Gifted
and Talented Programme in the public school system
supports unique educational opportunities and exper iences to help students extend their learning, develop
individual potential, enhance their self -concept and
become life- long independent learners.
Mr. Chairman, during the 2016/17 academic
year, the education officer responsible for the Gifted
and Talented Programme provided programme and clinical supervision that included delivering gifted i nstructional support to teachers who had identified gif ted students in their regular classrooms. Additionally, continuous job embedded professional development was offered to principals, teachers, students and par-ents at some schools, using the Renzulli Learning System (RLS). The Renzulli Learning System is an interactive online teaching and learning tool that pr ovides personalised learning for students and has been used by millions of students and more than 100,000
teachers in schools internationally.
Mr. Chairman, cost centre 27069 (Gifted and
Talented) funds the salary of the education officer who supervises the programme, and also any supplies
needed to implement the enrichment of the Gifted and
Talented Education Programmes. In order to ensure that middle school students are provided an oppor-tunity to explore options outside of the regular curric ula, the department has established a system -wide e nrichment program at all middle schools.
Utilising this enrichment model allows teac hers and students to pursue interest -based learning in
selected primary schools and all middle schools with access to additional instructional seminars in middle schools.
Cost Centre 27071—Office Support [page B -
119]. Mr. Chairman, Office Support serves as the Sec-retariat for the Student Services Section and funds the salaries of the Assistant Director of Student Services, two administrative assistants, and three support teachers.
Cost Centre 27072— Counselling. Mr. Chairman, the Education Department’s Counselling Pr ogramme provides our students with a multitude of d irect and indirect counselling services and activities that are integral components of the public education system. The functional goal of the Counselling Programme is to ensure that every student acquires the competencies to achieve success in school and in life.
Mr. Chairman, in preparation for the 2017/18
school year, to enhance service delivery and prepare for the necessary updates in the School Counse lling
Programme, this school year the Education Officer for
Counselling facilitated a series of professional deve lopment sessions for all preschool, primary, middle
and alternative school counsellors. The topics of trai ning and development included
• Multi -Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
• Developing Counselling Intervention Plans
• Mindsets and Behaviours for Student Success
• Anxiety and College and Career Readiness
To enhance the School Counselling Pr ogramme and ensure ongoing professional development, officers in the department took advantage of
training programmes offered locally by both the Family Centre and the Inter -Agency Committee for Children
and Families.
Mr. Chairman, all counsellors are members of
their school’s MTSS teams and provide consultations and recommendations, as well as direct services, to
address students’ academic and behaviour challeng-es. School counsellors continue to advocate for services on behalf of our students and provide them with
opportunities to practice academic and social skill s.
To support continued improvement of the programme in 2017/18, the department will seek to provide trai nBermuda House of A ssembly ing opportunities which are needed to address new
developments in the counselling profession and for
secondary counsellors to learn more about the adm ission policies for UK colleges.
Mr. Chairman, this cost centre funds the salary of one Education Officer, Counselling, 15 Pr eschool/Primary School Counsellors, 10 Middle School
Counsellors and one Alternative Programme Counsellor. The salaries for 10 counsellors and two Heads of Student Services at the senior school level fall outside this budget and are reflected within their respective school budgets.
Cost Centre 27074— Learning Support. Mr.
Chairman, Cost Centre 27074, Learning Support, funds three education officers for special education and learning support, in addition to 42 learning su pport teachers for pre- school, primary schools and
middle schools. This includes four learning support teachers who teach at our only special school, the
Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, and our trauma
responsive programme, Success Academy, which
includes therapeutic, restorative environments for the primary, middle and senior levels.
The funding is a direct result of assessment
materials needed to ensure appropriate diagnosis of students with special needs and the continued support of the Unique Learning System, a special education curriculum used for all of our autism and functional skills [programmes], as well as additional support for our special school programmes and trauma responsive programmes across the system.
Cost Centre 27076 —Early Childhood Educ ation [page B -119]. Mr. Chairman, the cost centre
27076 reflects the funding for the salary of the Educ ation Officer for Early Childhood Education and an operational budget for the Early Childhood Section. The
2017/18 operational budget will support the production and update of its publications, including the Inquiring Minds Framework and parent information brochures. To support the implementation of the Inquiry Fram ework at the pre- school and primary school levels, it
also provides resources such as mathematics, sc ience and technology materials, and professional books as well. They also cover conferences and workshops that are also delivered.
Mr. Chairman, I will speak later about the
Child Development and After -School Programmes
under 1712 on page B -121, which provides for the
detailed activities of Early Childhood Education.
Let us move to Cost Centre 27079 —
Paraprofessionals. Mr. Chairman, the cost centre 27079 provides for the delivery of paraprofessionals for our students who have a diverse range of learning
needs. As such, it is important that qualified and
skilled paraprofessionals are in place to support the numerous and varied educational needs of students. The paraprofessionals provide instructional support,
ensure protection and safety, and provide support for transition and life skills for students with special needs. This includes providing adequate support for
students with physical exceptionalities, including
deafness and visual impairments. During the next fis-cal year, the department has committed to specialised training for paraprofessionals to better equip them for supporting students with special needs.
Cost Centre 27083 —Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mr. Chairman, the cost centre 27083, Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD), funds all salaries for au-tism spectrum disorder teachers and those paraprofessionals who serve students with autism within the ASD programmes at four schools (three primary schools and one middle school). The funding
also covers operational costs for equipment repairs,
maintenance and supplies. Mr. Chairman, many st udents on the autism spectrum require more intensive services, including therapies that cannot be adequat ely provided in the regular classroom setting. ASD classrooms currently reside at the West Pembroke
School, Prospect School, Paget Primary Schools and
the Dellwood Middle School. Due to the high number of students with autism at Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, the department is committed to establishing
a designated ASD classroom. The 2017/18 funding
will also provide autism training for all teachers and
paraprofessionals at the school.
Mr. Chairman, currently 36 students are supported by the ASD programmes at the five school l ocations. In addition, the department is projected to open an additional ASD programme at the senior level
to accommodate current students who need this level
of programming and in preparation for students who will transition from middle school in the 2017/18 school year.
Mr. Chairman, this current school year saw an
increase in student progress and achievement. There
is a general sense that behaviour management has
improved and students in the ASD programmes are meeting success in various ways. Our Student Se rvices Section continues to partner with the two key autism advocacy charity organisations on the Island.
The relationship- building, cross training and collabor ation have improved overall partnering with the organisation, parents and the school system.
Mr. Chairman, in February this year specific
training was covered by an agency at the student ser-vices conference for staff who currently work with st udents with autism. Autism Awareness Month conti nues to be a highlight for the Island to promote and teach autism awareness and to build independence for those students in our ASD programmes and throughout the public school system. The various au-tism programmes will collaborate in April 2017 for a
joint effort to conduct training and activities for st udents, staff and parents.
Mr. Chairman, the ASD team is collaborating
to provide professional development for ASD teachers
and paraprofessionals to enhance their skill capacity in working with students with autism. The team con922 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly tinues to work collectively to promote autism awar eness and improve educational, environmental and
social conditions of the students in the programme and throughout the public school system. Autism D iagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) screening and assessment opportunity is ongoing and w ill be
implemented by staff at the Child Development Pr ogramme (CDP) to ensure evaluation and earlier inter-vention.
Mr. Chairman, all staff who work with autistic
students will benefit from enhanced professional d evelopment opportunities and training that provide autism-specific instructional strategies, behaviour modification techniques and communication exchange programmes. In addition, the purchase, training and implementation of the new Unique Learning System curriculum was implemented this year to help en-hance student opportunities and provide teachers with an accessible, interactive standards -based tool that
will accommodate the diversity and needs of our st udent learning.
Now I will move on to Cost Centre 27084 —
Alternative Education. Cost centre 270 84, Alternative
Education, funds the operation of both the Alternative
Education Programme and the two new Success
Academies, which were established in September 2016. Mr. Chairman, the department’s Alternative E ducation Programme is twofold and comprises (1) two therapeutic Success Academies, which offer interven-tions, along with additional academic and career options; and (2) the alternative education service provi ders, who offer additional options and pathways within
the community of tutorial sites.
Currently, the two new Success Academies
service 15 students and boast an attendance rate of 93 per cent. The academies have set a standard for
future engagement with students who have exper ienced trauma. A recent survey by the Interagency
Community Response Team indicated that as many
as one in five students enter our schools at risk as a
result of trauma. Helping students to manage through such circumstances and helping educators to respond
effectively to the impact of trauma in children’s lives is a proven approach to maximising student outcomes. The department views this as a critical area of growth in the future.
Mr. Chairman, the Alternative Education Pr ogramme was developed for at -risk youth with severe
behavioural challenges who were not showing ac ademic or social success in the regular school env ironment. This student population is being serviced through tutorial sites in an attempt to meet their indi-vidual learning and behaviour management needs.
There are currently 35 students enrolled in the various
alternative sites, down from 59 last year. As the department has strengthened its internal capacity to en-gage the needs of students with behavioural cha llenges, this number is expected to continue to de-crease, and thus save expenditures. While participating in the alternative pr ogramme, students are monitored daily. They receive counselling services, as well as psychological support and other services, if required, such as drug abuse counselling or anger management. Through hard work and dedication, students have remained in school. The overall goal is to support student achievement
and develop socially accepted behaviours.
Mr. Chairman, the Student Services Section
provides an extensive range of educational services
for our students with diverse needs and abilities. The total budget allocation for programme 1702 for the 2017/18 fiscal year is $16,646,000.

Programme 1703—Finance and Corporate

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, I now move
on to Finance and Corporate, Cost Centre 27002—
Finance And Corporate Services [page B -119]. This
cost centre supports the staff in the financial admi nistration of the department. They include a department comptroller, financial services manager, a payments supervisor, a salaries supervisor, a salaries clerk, three accounts clerks and a messenger. This section
is responsible for providing financial advice to senior
management; cost -effective and responsive financial
services; procurement and contracting services; and corporate planning solutions to the Ministry’s man-agem ent, employees and schools. This includes pa yroll administration and processing, scholarship and
grant disbursements, and financial reporting. Under
the direction of the comptroller, this office coordinates the payment of salaries for approximately 1,150 ed ucators and department staff, and pays all suppliers and vendors for goods and services purchased, as well as organises the collection of receivables.
Cost Centre 27003 —Office Accommodation.
Mr. Chairman, this cost centre funds the salary of the receptio nist, annual rent, office maintenance, electric ity and communication costs of the Southside Building at the Waller’s Point in St. David’s, where the Ministry
Headquarters and Department of Education are phy sically located.
Cost Centre 27040—Educational Stores. This
cost centre supplies supports for educational stores
and supports the salaries of the stores manager, a storekeeper, two truck drivers, two labourers and a
cleaner. The Stores Section provides centralised purchasing, inventory management and distribution ser-vices to all public schools, the Bermuda College, and other government departments such as the [Ministry of Social Development and Sport.] These supplies typically include purchases of curriculum -based mat erials such as writing and paper mater ials, exercise
books, physical education equipment, art and office supplies, and cleaning and maintenance materials for schools.
Cost Centre 27041— School Transport, again
found on page B -119. Mr. Chairman, the cost centre


Bermuda House of A ssembly funds the salaries for three bus drivers and two bus
attendants, who provide transportation to children who
attend the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy; two groundsmen, who maintain school sports fields; and one Labour, Transport & Safety Officer. The centre also funds the costs to maintain the department’s m otor fleet.
Cost Centre 27042— Buildings, Grounds and
Equipment. Mr. Chairman, I now wish to discuss cost centre 27042, Building, Grounds and Equipment, which funds the salary of the Facilities Manager. The remainder of the budget covers the cost of repairs and maintenance for facilities at all educational and admi nistrative sites that fall under the Department of Educ ation. These include preschools, maintained primary and middle schools, our special school, the Child D evelopment Programme facility, and the Alternative Education site at Robert’s Avenue.
Mr. Chairman, the facilities team will prioritise
maintenance work to be carried out at all sites, with specific attention to the safety and health needs of our schools. The safety of our students and the protection
of our school property are critical. This year the de-partment had a number of break -ins at its primary
schools, which have caused grave concern. The damages inflicted totalled thousands of dollars and included destroyed school property such as file cabi-nets, classroom doors, classroom windows and sec urity cameras.
Consequently, additional cameras for survei llance have been put in place at schools to support a broader scope of security monitoring. The facilities team is also seeking to install perimeter fencing at several central schools where the break -ins are prev alent. Additionally, the team is planning greater collab oration with the police service in the Financial Year
2017/18. Other safety measures include repairs to
school play equipment, maintenance of school water
fountains and school tanks, and repairs to school fire alarms, which are in the works.
Mr. Chairman, the department remains cognisant of concerns expressed from our key stakeholders as it relates to potential mould in some of our school buildings. We do not take these concerns lightly. The facilities team will continue to seek the support of the Government’s Safety & Health Coordinator for the investigation of concerns from specific facilities, in
particular the Dellwood Middle School, Port Royal
Primary School, Prospect Primary School and the
Child Development Programme. After assessment of these facilities, a determination will be made whether any remediation work needs to be carried out.
Mr. Chairman, the department is committed to
ensuring that staff and students have a safe and healthy school environment in support of effective teaching and learning.
Cost Centre 27050— IT Support. Mr. Chai rman, to conclude my presentation on the Finance and Corporate Programme, I will move to cost centre 27050, Information Technology Support. The IT Section in the Department of Education provides IT support for all schools, programmes and administrative sites that fall under the Department of Education. The cost centre funds salaries for the IT Manager and 10 staff, who together provide information technology support services to approximately 6,000 users, as well
as parents/guardians of all primary, middle and senior
school students who use the PowerSchool web portal. The IT team also supports the hardware and software maintenance of over 2,200 computers and 1,000 pe-ripherals across the public school system.
Mr. Chairman, during the 2016/2017 fiscal
year, the IT section facilitated a number of initiatives to improve the delivery of IT services in schools, which include
• an upgraded internet firewall;
• upgraded wireless access points at Whitney Middle S chool;
• replacement of 5 problematic servers in the
middle schools;
• completed replacement of over 60 LCD Smartboard projectors; and
• replacement of phone systems at Clearwater
Middle School and Dame Marjorie Bean Hope
Academy.
Mr. Chairman, the Student Management Sy stem [SMS] Officer provided PowerSchool web portal
training to parents at six PTA meetings during the year. In addition, training was provided to teachers on
the use of the PowerSchool SMS system during
school professional development days and throughout the school year. The Student Management System Officer also configured the PowerSchool system in preparation of the department’s new initiative—standards -based grading. This tool is an integral part
of improving the quality of education for all students and will improve student achievement with key ident ified standards consistent across all schools. As a r esult, the Student Management System Officer is wor king very closely with the Measurement and Evaluation Officer to identify a replacement student data analysis
tool.
Mr. Chairman, the IT Section is currently u ndertaking an assessment of all school sites to review
the state of information technology and to develop a plan to improve the quality of technology in our schools. It is important that our students have access
to current technology in the classrooms to obtain the
skillset that will better prepare them to compete glob-ally. The department recognises this and during the
next fiscal year will make all efforts to support our st udents in this endeavour.
Mr. Chairman, I should also share how the IT
Section has managed to find savings in IT expendi-tures for the coming fiscal year. This includes
• reduction in the number of rented network
cabinets [ at our data centre ] used for servers,
networking gear and firewalls;
924 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • collaborating with the Government’s ITO D epartment to form a joint contract with the data
centre hosting provi der to obtain better rates;
and
• reduction in the number of servers , and using
newer ( and more energy efficient) equipment ,
leading to reduced power consumption.
Mr. Chairman, the Finance and Corporate
Section provides key services to our public schools and has been allocated $6,022,000 for the 2017/18 fiscal year.

Programme 1704— Pre-schools

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, we now turn
to page B -120, line item 1704, which is the pr ogramme for our Pre- schools. There are 10 preschools in the Bermuda Public School System. Last
year, 328 children registered for pre- schools. Pre -
schools currently range in size from one class at St. David’s Pre -school to seven classes at Warwick Pre -
school. Each class is capped at 10 students per
teacher, and pre- schools with 30 students or less are
run by pre- school administrators, who have some
teaching responsibilities.
During the 2016/2017 year pre- schools e ngaged in deepening their teaching practices related to
inquiry -based learning, as well as reaching out and
engaging parents in the learning processes at school
and at home. Pre- school administrators provided pr ofessional learning to their staff on site, as well as on system professional development days. Additional Creative Curriculum study kits on topics of sand, signs , simple machines, tunnels and trains, and i nsects will be used to enhance the opportunities for pre-school children to inquire into science, technology,
engineering, math, literacy and the arts investigations, in 2017/18.
Mr. Chairman, the Inquiring Minds Framework
targeted for pre- school through P3 guided the professional development of teachers in pre- school and P1
during the 2016/17 school year. Pre- school and Pr imary One teachers participated in workshops on pr ofessional development days, and 16- hour courses
were offered for aspiring teacher leaders in early
childhood education at both these levels. The inquiry
framework is designed to strengthen the implement ation of the Creative and Cambridge Curriculum in all subject areas. The overall vision is that Bermuda’s children will explore, investigate, inquire, develop th eories, engage in collaborative conversations and build
collective understandings.
Mr. Chairman, in 2017/18 ongoing in- school
professional development will continue at the pre -
school and P1 level, simultaneous to introducing the
strategy to P2 and P3 teachers. The strength of i mplementation of the inquiry framework will require
specific professional development and in- school su pport over a five- year period in order to shift practices. Mr. Chairman, the 2017/18 budget for all preschools is $4,696,000. Ninety per cent of the preschool budget funds salaries. Ten per cent of the budget is used for operational costs such as electric ity, part -time cleaners, phones, office equipment, ren tals and drinking water. The majority of these costs are
fixed expenses.

Programme 1705— Primary Schools

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: This is on page B -20. Mr.
Chairman, you will note the next line item, 1705, Pr imary Schools. At the start of the school year in Sep-tember 2016, enrolment for the 18 primary schools
totalled 2,496 students. The department continues to
support school improvement efforts in all of our prim ary schools. These improvement initiatives focus on literacy, mathematics, quality instruction, intervention and inquiry.
Mr. Chairman, all primary schools have
School Improvement Plans that parents, guardians, community partners and the general public have ac-cess to. The School Improvement Plans are three-year improvement plans that align with system prior ities and have been developed collaboratively with teachers and parents. The improvement plans have standard goals consistent for all schools, in addition to specific objectives relevant to the particular school. These goals are measurable and cover improvement subject areas like math and literacy, improvement in
classroom instruction, inquiry practices, energy eff iciency and improvement in FitnessGram assessments
of students. The school improvement plans are su pported by department staff and monitored in conjunction with respective Parent Councils and parent repr esentatives. Progress reports will be provided annually
in order to continue the support of student growth and
achievement.
Mr. Chairman, at the primary school level,
students are also engaged in the arts, which comprise
music and visual arts. This year the Talbot Foundation
donated musical instruments for drumming and guitar
for 16 students in 10 schools. Roughly 160 students are receiving additional training in music. Our schools have reported positively on the impact this programme is having on our students in developing their interest and skills in playing musical instruments. The
Menuhin Foundation also services our primary
schools by providing training in violin for interested students. An annual concert is held where students perform for the general public, which helps to build confidence in our students in displaying their musical talent.
Mr. Chairman, in September the department
helped to sponsor the Mary Prince Art Exhibition that was on display in the Masterworks Gallery at the City Hall. In November, schools participated in a creative competition focused on the event and were awarded several individual and school prizes. Additionally, pr iBermuda House of A ssembly mary visual arts teachers engaged students in co nstructing art exhibits within the context of the theme
Reflections of Me. This was in preparation for the a nnual school art exhibition held in the Bermuda Society
of Arts [Gallery] at City Hall.
Mr. Chairman, during the past year, a subset
of our primary schools participated in the process The
Leader in Me for the first time. This process is princ iple-based and teaches our students self -leadership
skills to positively steer their behaviour and approach to learning. Students are trained to be leaders. Mr. Chairman, at this point let me share that the Francis Patton Primary School is the flagship school, having
participated in The Leader in Me process for more
than three years now. I would like to commend the
Francis Patton Primary School family, who reached the status of a Lighthouse School in May 2016 and
was certified by the international Franklin Covey lea dership organisation. This status is world- class recognition. Well done! —to the teachers, students, admini strative and operational support staff and parent s, all
who participated and committed to the application of this leadership process under the leadership of the school principal, Mrs. Garita Coddington.
Mr. Chairman, The Leader in Me process has
positively impacted students’ behaviour at the school, in that there has been a decline in student absenteeism, late arrivals to school and also decision- making
regarding approach to carrying out their schoolwork. This positive impact extended also to the quality of
teaching and learning in the classroom, and heigh tened parental involvement at the school. We certainly
look forward to this continued impact in our primary schools that just commenced participating this school year.
Mr. Chairman, the total budget for 2017/18 for
the 18 primary schools is $29,566,000.

Programme 1706— Special School (Dame Marjorie
Bean Hope Academy)

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Now I move on to Pr ogramme 1706, Special School, the Dame Marjorie
Bean Hope Academy. [Cost centre 27120 refers to the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy (“Dame”).] Mr.
Chairman, Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy pr ovides services to students from the age of 4 to 18
years old who have severe to profound multiple challenges. Currently there are 19 students enrolled at the school, although there is a maximum capacity of 24. Our children at Dame follow an adapted curriculum with emphasis in language development, literacy, functional mathematics, functional living skills, communication, gross and fine motor development, social
skills, health and wellness, vocational training and developing recreational and leisure skills.
Mr. Chairman, there is a multidisciplinary
team at Dame that includes the principal, deputy prin-cipal, teachers, paraeducators, a speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, adaptive phy sical ed ucation teacher, social worker and nurse.
Based on student assessments, an individualised e ducation plan is developed for each student that ident ifies specific goals that students will work on during the year. The main focus of the programme at Dame is to increase students’ independence and to help them
achieve their ultimate potential. Community involvement at the school is critical to reach this end, as well as students’ integration in the local community.
Mr. Chairman, Curriculum Based Instruction
(CBI) is a weekly activity whereby students have
community outings to enhance learning, which affords
them the opportunities to generalise skills that they
are working on in the school setting. The outings also provide students with the opportunity to interact with
members of the community. Dame boasts a thriving volunteer programme, through which school children, community organisations, corporate groups and ind ividuals give their time interacting with students and/or assisting with improving the school environment.
Mr. Chairman, during the fiscal year 2017/18,
this cost centre will be funded with a budget of $588,000.

Programme 1707—Middle Schools

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Now I move to Middle
Schools, 1707, found on page B- 121. The Bermuda
Public School Syste m has five middle schools, two of
which are aided schools. The student enrolment for
middle schools totalled 997 in September 2016, com-pared to 1,008 students who enrolled in 2015.
Mr. Chairman, the vision of middle schools
calls for Learning environments where children are
actively engaged and challenged in every classroom,
every day, and at every level. The middle schools
have continued to fully implement intervention pr ogrammes in literacy and now have begun to utilise a
math intervention tool called DreamBox. This is an evidence- based mathematics intervention pr ogramme. This was a key deliverable of the Middle School Transformation Plan. Mr. Chairman, our mi ddle school students are being exposed more and more to STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] education. At the start of the year, a core group of middle school teachers participated in STEM
training to acquire the knowledge, skills and tools for
the delivery of the curriculum using the STEM applic ation.
Mr. Chairman, our middle schools have been
an easy target of criticism since their inception. Those who are unaware or unfamiliar with the concept find it
easy to harken back nostalgically to the days before middle schools as the good old days . However, the
nostalgia does not reflect the reality of the 11- plus
exam —the requirement that students, many of whom
were not seen as capable at a tender age, were directed to particular schools based on a test result.
926 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Middle schools are part of a comprehensive system of
education that has an obligation to work to meet the
needs of every child.
Mr. Chairman, the challenge currently in middle schools is the need to ensure that we are truly de-livering middle school education and teaching, and not lecturing the same old way under the guise of middle
school. When our middle schools are at their best, we
see students working in small groups, collaborating and performing different learning tasks from different texts. Teachers are providing guidance with all st udents, enjoying the opportunity of participating in
school activities, demonstrating the acquisition of
knowledge.
Mr. Chairman, students should always have
clear expectations for academic achievement and appropriate behaviour. Middle schools that recognise learner diversity, that ensure students have opportuni-ties to explore curricular areas, that offer responsive
guidance and counselling programmes, that instil
positive classrooms and schools, and that involve
parents and families effectively convey these expect ations.
Mr. Chairman, through the collection of data
from the 2014 middle school audits and the introduc-tion of the Middle School Transformation Plan in 2015, the Department of Education is firmly committed to the continual improvement of delivery of education to our middle school students. Far from being the problem, middle schools are providing more than just educ ational experiences —they are preparing young people
to be well -adjusted Bermudian adults.
Mr. Chairman, the total 2017/18 budget all ocation for our five middle schools is $16,955,000.

Programme 1708— Senior Schools

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, I now go to
Senior Schools. Mr. Chairman, we have two senior
schools, the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy. Together the senior schools service close
to 1,200 students with just under 200 staff members.
Each senior school is provided with an annual grant for the operational management of their respective school and the school curriculum.
Mr. Chairman, students at our senior schools
are experiencing good success. At the CedarBr idge
Academy, the 2016 graduation rate was 89 per cent, with 62 per cent of the student graduates achieving a GPA of 2.25 and higher. Students who graduated from the CedarBridge Academy pursued a variety of tertiary experiences. CedarBridge Academy graduat es
were successful in being accepted at universities in
Canada, such as Acadia University, Humber College
and Seneca College; in the US at Andrews University, Savannah College of Art & Design and Penn Foster College; and in the UK, they were accepted at Ki ngston College, City of Wolverhampton College and Bel-lerby’s College. One of our [CedarBridge] student graduates pursued their studies in Australia, where
they were accepted in Curtin University, while other
graduates took a gap year to participate in life-changing opportunities such as Up With People, Rot ary Exchange and Raleigh International.
Mr. Chairman, I repeat that students of our
senior schools are experiencing good success. At the
Berkeley Institute, the 2016 graduation rate was 97
per cent, with 85 per cent of our students graduating with a GPA of 2.25 or higher. Students who graduated from the Berkeley Institute were successful in being accepted at universities in Canada, such as Dalhousie University, New Brunswick Community College and
York University; in the US they were accepted at
Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the Joffrey Ballet School and New England Institute of Technology; while in the UK students went off to the University of West England, and the London School of Business and Management. This is very
pleasing.
So let me now give a bit more detail in terms
of the specific types of activities our senior school st udents participate in. At the Berkeley Institute, 24 st udents participated in the Dual Enrolment Program me
at the Bermuda College— 20 full time and 4 part -time.
An additional 10 students are in the Applied Techno logy Certificate Programme. Eight Berkeley students of
the dual enrolment are on track to complete assoc iate’s degrees in 2017 at the Bermuda College, simu ltaneous to obtaining their high school diploma. St udents were also recognised for their academic achievements at Bermuda College after their first year of enrolment. Noted in the President’s List was Lauren Genevieve. On the Vice President’s List were Beatriz Aguiar, Jashae Allen- Lamontagne, Cyana Burgess,
Zoe Lopes and Chyaro Wedderburn.
Four S3 dual enrolment students certified their
high school requirements in summer 2016; one chose to graduate, but the remaining three chose to continue high school classes in order to graduate with their peers. Students Sage Jackson, Laitifa Smith and Larussey Romero were awarded Rotary Exchange
Scholarships and will spend a year overseas. Larus-sey has been accepted into St. Lawrence University and will defer college entrance until after her Rotary Exchange experience.
The Berkeley Institute implemented a bus iness simulation called Virtual Enterprise International programme. This programme involves mentorship from a number of ABIC member businesses, including Baca rdi, Fidelity Insurance, XL Catlin and KPMG, to
name a few. The Berkeley Institute received stellar responses to its mid- term report from the Middle
States Association of Colleges and Schools Commi ssion of Elementary and Secondary Schools. These comments included the following: “You and your school are to be commended for your ongoing com-mitment to your students, staff and parents by sustai ning high levels of achievement and accomplishments


Bermuda House of A ssembly as you fulfil your school’s mission. It was a pleasure
reading your report and noting your accomplishments,
among them your AP course additions, modifications
in scheduling to best meet the needs of students, dual enrolments with corresponding high school graduation and college course credit acquisition, the VEI program and the nursing program enrolment.”
Mr. Chairman, some of the highlights for the
students at CedarBridge follow. Students In- Shanae
Smith and Jorel Smith were selected by Digicel and the NBA to represent Bermuda in the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Basketball New York Experience in D ecember 2016. Some of the students were featured in
the Royal Gazette in December 2016 for showing the
love to our seniors. Faculty and students donated toiletries and prepared gift boxes that were taken to two
seniors’ homes and the geriatric ward at the hospital. CedarBridge students partnered with Alpha Kappa Psi and now have a Kappa League of all -male students at
the school, from the S1 and S2 year levels. Cedar-Bridge implemented the Accelerated Reading Pr ogramme with the sponsorship of the Beuchner Soci ety. Approximately 146 students were highlighted in November 2016 for notable growth and improvement
in reading. This programme requires students to read
books and to take assessments to determine their level of comprehension.
CedarBri dge Academy also celebrated 17
students for notable improvement in writing. This pr ogramme is sponsored by the Beuchner Society, and
students were celebrated and presented with gifts at a
special assembly during which the Canadian author, Mr. Eric Murphy, was the guest speaker. S4 student Jalen Franklin placed first for the Bermuda National Art Gallery’s Competition in December 2016; he was overall winner for the competition. Six S3 male st udents with high GPA’s were selected to be a part of the XL Catlin Mentor Programme. These students will remain in the programme for two years and earn scholarships at the completion of the programme. Students Jahkari Furbert (S4) and Keishon Bean (S3)
were also selected to represent Bermuda in the international CONCACAF soccer matches.
Ten CedarBridge Academy students travelled
to Barbados in February 2017 to participate in track and field meets. S3 students Telilah Wears and D eneo Brangman qualified for the CARIFTA Games
2017. Over 76 students earned NCCER certification
for last year’s school year, and 80 students completed the First Aid Certification Programmes during the budget year. CedarBridge Academy was named the 2
nd place winner for the BF&M 20th Annual Breast
Cancer Awareness initiative. Cedarbridge also hosted
Ritz Carlton executives for a special assembly in January 2017, where students learned about the Ritz
Carlton brand and the basics of hospitality.
Mr. Chairman, our senior school students,
supported by their teachers and principals, are doing extremely well and we must celebrate their accomplishments.
A combined budget of $24,367,000 has been
allocated in the 2017/18 fiscal year for our senior schools.

Programme 1709—Curriculum and Assessment

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, Curriculum
and Assessment. Mr. Chairman, I would now like to
turn to Programme 1709, Curriculum Assessment. This programme funds the Cambridge International Curriculum and related initiatives, salaries of subject
matter education officers for curriculum and asses sment, and the Career Pathways Programme. The department pays an annual fee to Cambridge Interna-tional for the curriculum and for students to sit the a nnual Check Points and IGCSE examinations.
Now I move to cost centre 27010—Literacy
Initiative [page B -121]. Mr. Chairman, we tend to link
literacy to the ability to only read and write. However, the power of literacy lies not just in the ability to read and write, but rather in the capacity to apply these skills to effectively communicate with others. Mr.
Chairman, the department uses the Leveled Literacy
Intervention System [LLI]) for both primary and middle schools to help improve the literacy levels of our st udents. LLI is an intensive small -group literacy intervention tool for students who find reading and writing
challenging. The goal of LLI is to lift the literacy level
of students who are not achieving grade- level expectations in reading.
Mr. Chairman, during the first term of the
2016/2017 school year, a third cohort of middle school
teachers were trained in LLI tools. Last year the pr imary schools commenced training, and this year the
remaining nine schools will complete the training by
the end of the 2016/17 school year. To date, all mid-dle and primary schools have received Leveled Liter-acy Intervention kits. The department will implement continued teacher professional development, coac hing and monitoring to ensure fidelity in this programme and also to raise achievement levels of students who struggle to improve their reading.
Cost Centre 27020 —Assessment and Evalu ation. Mr. Chairman, we are in the sixth year of impl ementing the Cambridge International Examinations at
P6, M3 and S2. The examinations are funded from
cost centre 27020, Assessment and Evaluation. Add itionally, it funds the salary of a senior education of-ficer, research, measurement and evaluation.
Mr. Chairman, during the school year a total
of 1,310 external exams (i.e., IGCSE, GCSE and AS
Levels) were taken in a diverse listing of subjects that
included English, Mathematics, Science, Foreign La nguage, Visual and Performing Arts, Business & Tec hnology, Physical Education and Family Studies.
As previously shared, the primary and middle
school level Cambridge Checkpoint examinations con928 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly tinue to provide benchmark data for the transition
points at primary (P6) and middle (M3) level. The
Checkpoint exams are diagnostic in nature and speci fically designed to highlight the areas where greater interventions are needed to improve student perfor-mance in preparation for their International General Certificate Secondary Education [IGCSE] exams at
the senior school level.
The Cambridge Examining Board considers
that achieving a level of 2.0 reflects a basic accept able understanding of the Cambridge curriculum. The
Cambridge Checkpoint results revealed that at the Primary 6 level, 83 per cent of students scored at
least level 2.0 and above in Language Arts, 54 per cent scored at level 2.0 and above in Mathematics, and 86 per cent scored at the 2.0 per cent and above in Science. Similarly, at the Middle School level, 66 per cent of students scored at level 2.0 and above in Language Arts, 49 per cent scored at level 2.0 and
above in Mathematics, and 83 per cent scored at the
2.0 per cent and above in Science.
Mr. Chairman, detailed analysis of the exam
results has indicated that our students are still exper iencing academic challenges in both math and literacy.
The department has added mathematics and literacy
interventions, and shall be seeking the services of Cambridge mathematics professional development officers to assist with our interventions.
Mr. Chairman, the curriculum assessment
team continue to work on the implementation of the
Standards Based Grading [SBG] framework. This
framework is a comprehensive system that aligns i nstruction and assessment to standards. It aligns
grades to standards and provides the most recent or most frequent evidence of what students know and are able to do. Standards Based Grading training is in
its full preparatory phase, with training of teachers
conducted in January and February; further training is planned for the month of March. During these ses-sions, the SBG curriculum teams will continue to work on proficiency scales and assessments. With the establishment and implementation of the SBG system,
the department is raising standards of instruction and grading for all schools.
Cost Centre 27520—Design, Development
and Implementation. This allotment funds salaries for seven education officers who are responsible to ensure the effective delivery and ongoing development
of the Cambridge Curriculum in the core and non- core
subjects, Cambridge subjects, school examinations, the Career Pathways Programme and all other curric-ula. This cost centre covers the salaries of an office administrator; two secretaries; a test scoring clerk;
and the athletic administrator, who supports the administration of inter -school sports through the Berm uda School Sports Federation. In September 2017, the department should have in place education officers for mathematics, science and reading to lend technical support and direction to teachers for the delivery of
the Cambridge Curriculum.
Cost Centre 27524—Early College & Career
Pathways. Mr. Chairman, cost centre 27524 funds the
salaries of two Career Pathways Programme coordi-nators, and the cost of student transport and educ ational certifications. The coordinators administer this
programme at both senior schools. The structure of
the programme allows students to select and focus on one of five categories of Career Pathways, consisting of the Arts, Athletics and Com munication, Applied
Technology, Business and Hospitality, and Health and Human services.
Mr. Chairman, the Career Pathways has been
the catalyst for the Applied Technical Certificate now instituted at the Bermuda College in the Dual Enrol-ment Programme. The Applied Technology Certificate Programme is a two- year experience for what is pr edominantly by choice a male- enrolled programme.
The Applied Technology Certificate Programme will prove a great investment for our public school st udents. At the completion of the programme students will be recognised as graduates of the Bermuda School Diploma, as recipients of an Applied Technical
Certificate, as recipients of the City & Guilds Emplo yability Skills Certification, as having internship exper ience, and as graduates with entry into full -time e mployment.
Mr. Chairman, in building upon the success of
the Career Pathways Programme, this school year a total of 18 teachers from primary to college level r eceived the introductory certificate for STEM training.
There are now teachers implementing STEM project -
based learning, using robotics and drones at the mid-dle and senior school levels.
Mr. Chairman, the Curriculum and Asses sment Programme, 1709, has been allocated a 2017/18 budget of $2,639,000 for the continued del ivery of these educational programmes and services during the next fiscal year.

Programme 1712— Early Childhood Education

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, the final pr ogramme on page B- 121 is 1712, Early Childhood E ducation. This programme funds the Child Development and After School Care sub- programmes. Early
Childhood Education represents the foundation for student success. Both conventional wisdom and N obel-prize winning research tell us that investments in
early learning provide exponential benefits to children, their families and the economy. During 2016/17 fur-ther consultation occurred on the early childhood di scussion paper from local early childhood experts. The consultation included recommendations for policy di-rection to guide the transformation of early childhood education in Bermuda and a preliminary strategic plan for implementation relating to these policies. Our goal


Bermuda House of A ssembly is to further develop this initiative during the 2017/18
fiscal year.
Cost Centre 27175—Child Development Pr ogramme. Mr. Chairman, line item 27175, the Child
Development Programme (CDP), currently funds the salaries of the programme co- ordinator, a testing ps ychologist, three supervisors, one secretary and 10
staff members, who provide direct assessment and
early intervention support to children and their fam ilies.
Mr. Chairman, during the 2016/17 year, the
Child Development Programme continued to make provision of high- quality services to children and their
families a priority. Now that the programme is accred-ited, the annual strategic plan and the Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) process have become i ntegral components in collecting and reporting on client and programme data, on a quarterly basis, through quarterly reports and stakeholder meetings. Trends
are being tracked and improvements are being made.
CDP has improved client confidentiality and partner confidence through utilising a confidential email sy stem. However, risk prevention and mitigation centres on building issues associated with being housed in an
old Ber muda home.
Mr. Chairman, a major focus of the Child D evelopment Programme has been on cross -training
and reviewing job descriptions to create a team that is
responsive to changing community and client needs in light of the increased stress and economic challenges
on families. All staff engaged in a 15- part training pr ogramme by the Infant Mental Health Community
Training Institute and the Sick Kids of Toronto. This
training is foundational to understanding the impact of early experiences on brain development and emotio nal functioning. The cross -training has resulted in i ncreased shared knowledge and greater flexibility wit hin the office. Re- tooling has proven beneficial to managing resources across the programme to meet client demands.
Mr. Chairman, the tw o-year-old developmental screening team has increased by one relief staff. CDP is now reaching its goal of screening 20 per cent more clients in the targeted 24– 30-month age range,
than those in the 30 months and older. This is a pos itive effect, as staff can now identify children at risk for developmental delays sooner and provide prevent ative services or intervention, as appropriate.
Mr. Chairman, CDP continues to liaise with
the Department of Health and Department of Child and Family Services, as well as community organis ations such as the inter -agency for children and Child
and Adolescent Services. The Early Childhood A ssessment Team (ECAT), a cross -ministry interdiscipl inary team of professionals led by the testing ps ychologist, is now operational. This team is responsible for early identification of children on the autism spec-trum. CDP continues to improve services to meet the challenges of early intervention. Training has taken place in the trans -disciplinary approach to early intervention for children with developmental delays and disorders. CDP is currently piloting the DIR Floortime model, which is developmental, individual, and rela-tionship based, with selected children who have been waitlisted for the Portage Programme. All staff are receiving introductory training in this model with s elected interventionist(s) engaged in more intensive training and mentoring.
Mr. Chairman, the Child Development Pr ogramme is launching its 2017 CDP Awareness Cam-paign to increase awareness of CDP’s universal ser-vices, including the two- year-old screening to those
families who are difficult to reach.
For the coming year, the Child Development
Programme will focus on improvement of quality of services and awareness. This will be achieved through training and development of new hires and staff development, as part of succession planning in
light of upcoming retirements. CDP will continue to
train and implement the trans -disciplinary model of
intervention as they increase evidence- based practi ces within and across programme domains. CDP will survey public awareness and client satisfaction, along
with collecting feedback from agency partners. These
data will be analysed and appropriate action will be taken to respond to issues and improve services.
Cost Centre 27700— After Preschool Care.
Mr. Chairman, the final line item on page B -121 is cost
centre 27700, After School Care. This cost centre
funds the wages of part -time employees who provide
supervision and organised activities to children at four
pre-schools and one school for students with special
needs. The anticipated
enrolment in the afterschool programmes is
• Devonshire Pre- school —25 students;
• Prospect Pre- school —25 students;
• Victor Scott Pre -school —25 students;
• Warwick Pre -school —50 students; and
• Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy —18
students.
Mr. Chairman, Early Childhood Education is
critically important. We must lay a sound foundation for our children, and early intervention and building will certainly support this endeavour. The continued delivery of these services and programmes for the
Financial Year 2017/18 has been allocated a total budget of $1,840,000.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, I now get to
the Subject Analysis of Current Account Estimates, found on page B -122. The first table on page B -122
compares the 2017/18 estimate of $109,096,000 with
the original budget for 2016/2017 of $107,085,000. This shows the differences between the two years by expenditure category. The variances of note for the expend iture categories are as follows:
930 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Salaries and wages increased by $2,119,000
(or 3 per cent), and $209,000 (or 6 per cent), respectively, mainly due to the increase in substitutes teac hers (that is cost centre 27074), which had an increase of $1,600,000, an d the paraprofessionals, which had
an increase of $500,000.
Training costs were up $65,000. This is an i ncrease of 29 per cent. There is a reduced allocation in monies for professional development of over $100,000. However, this has been offset by addition al
funding for various programmes, namely, School Ps ychology (i.e., cost centre 27063), Learning Support (cost centre 27074), Early Childhood Education (cost
centre 27076) and an increase in Autism (cost centre
27083). The decrease in monies for transportation by
$7,000 (or 9 per cent) is largely due in part to the r eduction in overseas freight and associated costs. Travel costs associated with overseas professional development training increased by $11,000 (or 8 per
cent).
Communication costs decreased by $217,000
(or 23 per cent), in part reflecting the completion of a
number of projects linked to Information Technology Support. Professional Services costs are $25,000
higher, or 2 per cent higher, mainly attributed to an
increase in legal fees. Rental costs are marginally lower, at $16,000 (or a reduction of 2 per cent), pr imarily due to lease renegotiations and reduced equipment rentals. Repair and maintenance costs de-clined by $46,000 (or 3 per cent) as a result of lower
funding for security services due to a shorter contract
period. Energy costs decreased by $137,000 (or 9 per cent), reflecting intended energy efficiency savings in keeping with the mandate of the Department of Ener-gy. Materials and supplies expenditure is $153,000 lower (or 8 per cent lower) as a result of increased
efficiency in school supplies. Grants and Contributions
increased by $88,000, primarily due to maintaining the
funding for the two senior schools.

Employee Numbers —Full -Time Equivalents

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, I now refer
to pages B -123 and B -124, which provide a listing of
the number of full -time equivalent (FTE) employee
posts for the 2017/18 fiscal year in the Department of
Education.
Mr. Chairman, there are 1,130 FTE posts, a
net change of 6 compared with the 1,124 FTE’s measured in the 2016/17 year. The increased number of FTE’s primarily reflects previous vacant posts that are now funded to provide much needed operational support in the cost centres Design, Development and
Implementation, IT Support, Human Resource, and
Student Services. The department will continue to
monitor and review the number of FTE’s, ensuring both efficiency and effectiveness in staff resources.
Performance Measures

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, pages B -125
to B-127 list the Performance Measures for the D epartment of Education. These measures reflect the
diversity of programmes and initiatives currently being undertaken by the Department of Education which
lend to teaching and learning in our public schools.
This, Mr. Chairman, concludes Head 17, the
Department of Education. I will now move to the Bermuda College. Mr. Chairman, at this point, I would like
to acknowledge the presence of our new Commi ssioner of Education, Dr. Freddie Evans.

[Desk thumping]
The Chair: Welc ome, and congratulations, Commi ssioner.

HEAD 41 —BERMUDA COLLEGE
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Now, Bermuda College. Mr.
Chairman, the mission, on page B -128, states, The
Ministry of Education provides a grant to the Board of Governors of the Bermuda College in support of post -
secondary education and training as provided for in
the Bermuda College Act 1974.
The Bermuda College is the only tertiary -level
institution in Bermuda. The mission of the college is setting Bermuda’s students on a path to success
throug h the provision of comprehensive academics
and technical education, along with professional trai ning, personal and academic support services, quality
facilities and interactive partnerships with local and international entities. As an accredited community college, Berm uda College is particularly committed to the success of Bermuda’s students, offering transfer programmes leading to success at the university level. It also pr ovides professional and technical programmes and training programmes leading to success in the wor kplace, and preparatory programmes leading to suc-cess in the classroom.
Mr. Chairman, the grant allocation from the
Ministry of Education for the Financial Year 2017/18 is $15,481,000. Mr. Chairman, Dr. Duranda Greene is President of the Bermuda College, which is governed
by a board of governors. The Chair of the Board is Mr.
Peter Sousa. Other members of the Board are Dane Commissiong, Deputy Chair; MP Susan Jackson; Mr. Marshall Minors; Mr. Andrew Richardson; Mr. Bruce Sharpe; Mrs. Kathleen Sharpe- Keane; Mr. Zikomo
Simmons; Mrs. Romelle Warner; Mrs. Valerie Robi nson-James, Permanent Secretary for Education (ex
officio); Mrs. Coral Wells, National Training Board Representative; The Hon. Randolph Horton, Chai rman of the Honorary Fellows; Mrs . Ann Parsons, Faculty Representative; Mrs. Karmeta Hendrickson, Su pBermuda House of A ssembly port Staff Representative; Miss Chelsea Ray, Student
Representative.
Mr. Chairman, Bermuda College continues to
be the most economical choice for Bermudians to
begin their journey to higher education, with the tuition for its two -year associate’s degree programme set at
approximately $7,000 (not including lab fees and tex tbooks). Recently re- accredited by the Commission for
Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Bermuda College truly offers a
great value for money when compared to the first two years of any four -year institution in the United Kingdom, North America or the Caribbean—and Canada, I
might add.
Mr. Chairman, let me add here that the reaccreditation of the Bermuda College by the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges basica lly places Bermuda College alongside of other instit utions such as Boston University, Harvard University, New England Institute of Technology, University of
Hartford and Yale University. They are all accredited by the same commission that we are also accredited by. So we are basically meeting the best performance standards, best practices and are in a league that is
reputable by any standard.
Mr. Chairman, I will first share the 2016/2017
highlights of activities. This past year Bermuda College saw its first four dual enrolment students grad uate with their associate’s degree and high school d iploma in the same year. These have all transferred to
overseas four -year institutio ns, with advanced standing. The first two nursing graduates of the College’s
Associate’s Degree (Nursing) programme successfully passed the NCLEX nursing licensure exam and be-came Registered Nurses (RN’s). There are seven more students who will be writing their examinations
prior to the end of the current fiscal year.
The college also graduated its first cohort of
17 students from its new Certificate in Major Appl iance Repair Programme. There were also 12 students
enrolled in the first cohort of the Emergency Medical
Technicians (EMT) Certification Programme, 11 of
whom are set to graduate later this month.
Bermuda College introduced a student -centric
app during this past fiscal year. This app is a gateway to academic conveniences for its students, such as
paying online, searching for courses, viewing grades
and checking schedules. Students can find out needto-know non- academic information such as when
buses are cancelled, what activities are happening on campus or the latest information on an approaching hurricane. Bermuda College also utilised its GoToMeeting platform to introduce online counselling,
online office hours and online information sessions to
promote programmes geared towards adult learners.
Mr. Chairman, the college has put a stronger
emphas is on increasing male enrolments during this
current academic year, with several initiatives. In fall 2016, it introduced its new Certificate in Applied Technology, which is intended to provide students
with the technical fundamentals to pursue a technical
career or degree. There are 25 public school male
students dual -enrolled in this first cohort. During their
first year the students completed core courses while exploring the different technical disciplines and en-hancing their math, science, communications and
computer skills. Students will select elective courses
in the second year from a technical discipline of their choice.

The Chair: Minister, we are on the final head. And so
I am trying to calculate here. Do you have a lot more in your presentation, or submission, before us?
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: We can come back after
lunch.
The Chair: So, you will break then for lunch now?
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Correct.
The Chair: Okay. Did you finish that final page, or
have you got one more page? I think we can do it. We have got a minute left.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: No, because I still will not
be finished.

Good afternoon. We are going to r esume the debate on Education. We were discussing the Heads 16, 17 and 41. The Minister of Education,
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons, still has the floor.
Minister, you can continue.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We are currently on Head 41, Bermuda College, page
B-128 in the Budget Book.

932 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly HEAD 41 —BERMUDA COLLEGE

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, the College
has put a stronger emphasis on increasing male enrolments during this current academic year with se veral initiatives. In fall 2016, it introduced its new Certi ficate in Applied Technology which is intended to pr ovide students with the technical fundamentals to pur-sue a technical career or degree. There are 25 public school male students dual -enrolled in the first cohort.
During their first year the students complete core
courses while exploring the different technical disc iplines and enhancing their math, science, communication and computer skills. Students will select elective courses in the second year from a technical disc ipline of their choice.
Mr. Chairman, this year the Bermuda College
also hosted the 5
th International Colloquium on Black
Males in Education in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Madison. The theme for the conference
was “Educational Transitions and Life Trajectories: Bridging Pathways to Success for Black Males .” This
conference highlighted the challenges males face in education and some of the research- based solutions
to addressing them.
Bermuda College also sponsored two male
students, who are members of the registered student organi sation MenSpeak, to attend the annual Black
Male Summit at the University of Akron in Ohio. The students participated in several workshops under the
themes: empowerment, enrichment, engagement and
encouragement.
Bermuda College students continued to
showcase their talents in the local community during this past year. The culinary arts students took part in local fundraisers including the annual Plates of Passion orga nised by the Bermuda Hospitality Institute
and the Soup-a- Bowl organi sed by the Eliza DoLittle
Society. The nursing students organized and hosted
their 2
nd Annual Paediatric Health Fair in partnership
with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center and Boston
Children’s Hospital.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda College conti nues to increase its inter national partnerships to maximise the benefits for its students when they transfer
to four -year institutions. During this past year the Co llege signed articulation agreements with Massachu-setts -based Framingham University and Newbury Co llege. Framingham University is known for its focus on
STEM education, i.e. , science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and offers Bermuda College
graduates a Geographic Tuition Grant that will reduce their tuition to the published in- state tuition amount.
This equates to a savings of $6,080 per year for a Bermuda College graduate. Newbury College has r eviewed the curriculum for several of Bermuda Co llege’s programmes and offers eligible graduates direct entry in to the third year of a four -year degree pr ogramme. Bermuda College graduates will also be of-fered a Merit Scholarship of at least $10,000 per ac ademic year.
Mr. Chairman, working in collaboration with
the Ministry of Economic Development, the first cohort of students in the Regulatory Compliance Association Bermuda Compliance programme began their studies
toward professional certification. The objective of the
programme is to increase the number of qualified
Bermudians in compliance, and is funded with scholarships provided by the Regulatory Compliance Ass ociation.
Mr. Chairman, Science Week continues to be
an integral part of the Bermuda College calendar. This
year’s public forum at Science Week featured Mr.
Tarik Smith. His lecture, attended by approximately 200 diverse members of the community, focused on water engineering and the challenges of water management. The forum was sponsored by the Division of Arts & Sciences and remains a popular highlight of
Science Week activities promoting the sciences. The
Science Demo Day was attended by more than 300 middle school students, while the Master Class saw
participation by more than 200 high school students.
Other events held included the increasingly
popular "Live, Love, Eat" culinary arts demonstration with Chef Teneika Eve; a technical education expo at the Tec hnical Education Building; and a demonstr ation of the nursing simulation laboratory by the Nur sing Department.
Mr. Chairman, Bermuda College published its
second peer -review journal entitled , Voices in Educ ation. The theme for this second volume was “Transforming Education for the Twenty -first Century: New
Thinking, New Action.” The journal gained new prom inence this year with its successful application to be included in the prestigious, online research site E BSCOhost.
The Bermuda College Faculty Associatio n
hosted two well -attended community events as part of
its lecture series during this past year. The first fea-tured musicians Taylor Rankin and Dwight Hart; and
the second featured a panel discussion examining
age discrimination.
Three (3) new Honorary Fellows were induc ted into the Bermuda College Company of Honorary
Fellows. Mrs. Jill Husbands, Mr. Lawrence Michael
Murphy and Mr. Patrick Tannock (a Bermuda College
alumnus) were celebrated for the significant contributions they have made in their respectiv e fields and
their contributions to Bermuda.
Output measures: Mr . Chairman, supporting
output measures for the College’s activities are as
follows: in 2016 Bermuda College graduated 108 st udents with associate degrees, diplomas or certificates.
• Technical E ducation—9 graduates
• Business —33 graduates
• Hospitality —12 graduates
• Arts & Science —54 graduates


Bermuda House of A ssembly In addition, six individuals received Bachelor
of Business Administration degrees through the Co llege’s long- standing partnership with Mount Saint Vi ncent University.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda College conducts
an exit survey of its graduating students each year to
ascertain their future intentions after the Bermuda College. Although not all students complete the survey, I
thought it important to share summary sta tistics co mpiled from the 2016 Graduates Survey Results which reported the following:
• 20 per cent of the students reported they had
employment
• 21 per cent of the students were seeking em-ployment
• 59 per cent of students had planned to further
their educatio n either locally or overseas
Mr. Chairman, our graduates from the Berm uda College indicated a wide range of universities and colleges that they were attending which included Buckingham University, University of Brighton and University of Gloucestershire in the UK; Georgia State
University, St. Johns University and Barry University in
the US; Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia
College of Art and Design and University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Canada, and also the Un iversity of the West I ndies.
In December, the Division of Professional and
Career Education (PACE) awarded 102 external certificates or professional designations to individuals
through external programmes and workforce deve lopment training. I will summarise the number of graduates in the programmes:
• American Management Association (AMA) Certif icate in General Management, 10
• AMA Certificate in Human Resources, 4
• ACCA Intermediate Certificate in Financial & Management Accounting, 1
• BOMI Facilities Management, 2
• Certificate in Major Appliance Repairs, 17
• Certificate for Nursing Assistant, 16
• Certificate for Nursing Assistants – Bridging, 8
• CISCO Certified Network Associate (CCNA), 2
• Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Certif icate in Leading Effective Teams, 15
• ILM Certificate in Team Building & Leadership Skills, 14
• ILM Level 3 Award in Leadership & Management, 1
• Streetwise “MBA” Entrepreneurship Programme, 8
• Supply Chain Management Association Canada (SCMP), 3
• World Instructor Training School Personal Trainer
Certification, 1
And these graduates are all working in the i ndustry.
Mr. Chairman, in fall of 2016 Bermuda Co llege enrolled 675 students. There were also 198 st udents serviced through the PACE programme during
the same period. Mr. Chairman, in 2016 Bermuda College r eceived $15,528,000 of its operating budget from its
Government grant. Revenue of $4,938,484 from other sources included:
• student tuition and fees for credit courses
• revenue generated by PACE
• bookstore revenue
• rental income, including Coco Reef
• examination rev enue
This amount, together with the Government
grant, made up a total revenue figure for the 2016/17 budget year of $20,466,484. To assist students qual ifying for financial assistance, Bermuda College pr ovided $50,000 in financial aid.
Mr. Chairman, during this period, salaries and
benefits accounted for $13,620,000 or 67 per cent of the budget. This represents a 2.5 per cent increase in salaries when compared to 2015/16. The increase in salaries is mainly attributable to performance- based
step increases aw arded to eligible employees.
In an effort to increase college spirit and to
better engage students while on campus, the College hired a student life coordinator during this past year.
IT expenditures for the year included
$124,000 on hardware purchases and $369,000 on
software contracts to support teaching and learning as well as the College’s administrative functions. The College also completed the first phase of upgrading its website using an Open Source platform which, when complete, will save the College approximately
$100,000.
Maintenance and improvement of the physical
plant of Bermuda College continued as part of the
College’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy
environment for students and employees. Maint enance, cleaning contracts and improvements totalled
$475,000 during this past year. The major improv ements included: air handlers, $170,000; chiller
maintenance, $99,000; energy metering and monitor-ing equipment, $58,000; tenting and fumigation of North Hall, $69,000, and upgrades to the transformer rooms, $10,000.
The College has established a Testing and
Assessment Centre on campus as a means to i ncrease revenue. The Centre has been approved by various international examination bodies, allowing for local residents to sit international examinations at the College.
Due to the recently installed campus -wide e nergy management system, the College has been able to recoup approximately $50,000 in additional revenue from Coco Reef Resort for electricity costs.

2017- 2018 Budget Year

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Chairman, Bermuda
College continues to utilise internal stakeholders as
part of its annual budget process. The Budget Com-mittee includes representatives from the Student
934 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Government Council, faculty, support staff, members
from the Executive and a selection of budget managers. The goal of the Budget Committee is to prepare a
balanced budget to present to the Board Finance Committee and ultimately to the Board for final a pproval.
Salaries continue to form the majority of the
College’s budgeted expenses and the College conti nues to review its operations, seeking ways to de-crease its payroll costs. To this end, during the 2017 /18 fiscal year, Bermuda College will continue to
decrease its payroll costs through attrition and the freezing of non- essenti al positions. The College has
also conducted a review of its human resources by making comparisons with similar institutions using the assistance of an external vendor. Recommendations will be implemented during the upcoming fiscal year to ensure that Bermuda College is optimising its human resources.
Mr. Chairman, during the 2017 /18 fiscal year
Bermuda College will continue with the fumigation of its buildings in addition to testing them for the pres-ence of toxic mould. Upgrading classrooms and com-puter la bs will continue as Bermuda College continues
its focus on improving teaching and learning while supporting more active classroom environments.
For the first time in several years, Bermuda
College has received a capital grant in the amount of $850,000, for which it is very grateful. These funds will
enable the College to undertake much needed major
campus -wide capital projects throughout the upcoming fiscal year. These capital improvements include: building upgrades, health, safety and security en-hancements and technological improvements.
Bermuda College will continue to generate
revenue from its b ookstore and the rental of its facil ities. The College will be reviewing its fee structure in preparation for the next academic year and will also be increasing its financial aid by 50 per cent to assist
students who are in financial need. Finally, the Co llege has set aside funds to have the Bermuda College
Foundation fully functional during the next fiscal year
as an alternative funding source.
Looking forward, Mr. Chairman, during the
next fiscal year Bermuda College will continue to i mplement the action items included in its Strategic Plan. In fall 2017 the College will also begin the process for
the establishment of its next five- year Strategic Plan.
The College will continue to work with the public high
schools to increase the number of students in the D ual Enrolment programme while expanding the pr ogramme to private and home school students. It should be noted that 10 public high school students
are currently on track to graduate from Bermuda College with their associate degree as they graduate from
their respective high school later this year.
Bermuda College will continue to forge all iances with professional credentialing and accrediting agencies for workforce development and professional certification, such as: Association of Chartered Cert ified Accountants, Chartered Institute of Legal Exec utives for legal executives; Building Owners and Man-agers Institute for building owners and managers; and City & Guilds fo r the applied sciences.
Now that the new gaming legislation has been
passed by this Honourable House, Bermuda College
will continue working with the Bermuda Gaming
Commission, the Bermuda Hospitality Institute and the Department of Workforce Development, to ensure that Bermudians are trained and qualified to enter this new industry.
As per the College’s strategic plan, Bermuda
College will establish a National Educator’s Institute in collaboration with key education stakeholders. The National Educator’s Institute will be centralised and a
safe environment for teachers, faculty, counsellors and administrators with the public and private educ ation sectors to engage in professional learning, di alogue and research. At the National Educator’s Inst itute practitioners will gather to learn, share best prac-tices, generate ideas and investigate questions to i nform practice.
As I close I wish to thank the Board, the executive, the administration, the faculty and staff of Bermuda College for their work throughout this year and I look forward to working with them in the coming year.
Thank you , Mr. Chairman, this concludes my
remarks on the Bermuda College and thus my overall presentation of the 2017/18 Budget for the Ministry of
Education. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, this concludes
my remarks on the Bermuda College and thus my
overall presentation of the Budget.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chai rman, that is good to know. And I want to thank my
honourable colleague who just took his seat for a detailed Budget presentation even though I will
acknowledge up front that I thought that some items that should have been addressed were not. But we will get to that as we go through this debate.
Let me just say this: Education. I think ever ybody knows that education is the bedrock, the cornerstone of any community. Having said that, it is the
foundation upon which all communities are built. Be-fore I continue, let me acknowledge up front the pres-ence of the Permanent Secretary of Education, Mrs. Valerie [Robinson- ]James, and the new CommissionBermuda House of A ssembly er of Education, Dr. Freddie Evans, and the President
of Bermuda College, Dr. Greene.
I want to say that we are definitely delighted,
having just recently heard about the appointment of a
new Commissioner. We have lamented for quite some time that a Ministry such as Education is of the hig hest level of importance and necessitates that leadership be in place to help carry the Ministry’s mission
forward. So, even though the timing of that appointment suggests that it might have been more political action as opposed to Members believing that it is just that important, we are nonetheless happy to see that finally there is a leader at the helm of Education f rom
the Commissioner’s seat and, likewise, that such leadership was sought from our local shores, because we have always upheld that there is expertise within our community that is more than capable of taking that post. So we look forward to the Board doing just that.
The Ministry, and I am going to speak generally to Head 16 by first stating on page B -114 where
the Ministry speaks to its existence in which it propos-es “To provide an exemplary education system in the government school system.” This is, indeed, a lauda-ble expectation and a laudable aim. But when we look
at the overall budget allocations for education, and we
look at the trend that has prevailed for quite a few years now in education, and when we observe the estimated overall budget for education by the Ministry, $126,991, for me, and I am sure for many others, the question does beg, Are we really serious about education, Mr. Chairman?
This Budget is a reflection of a continued r eduction from one year to the next of the education
budget. And I can say that since 2007/08, which saw around $150 million as an allocated budget, we are now operating, or will operate in the fiscal year
2017/18, with a budget that is about $25 million, in
fewer dollars.
Mr. Chairman, I can say in speaking to this
Head that from much of the anecdotal evidence we
have seen out there where schools are crying out that
they do not have the sufficient resources, funding,
even manpower, when, again, the question begs, Are we really serious?
I know that there is always the idea that we
can do more with less, and more efficiently. But I do not know if that can very easily be achieved in educ ation when we see, again , that the funding that is put in
place (and again I am speaking to the overall Ministry
of Education) has not adequately allowed schools to
operate without teachers without the requisite tools to teach, without instructing environments considered safe and healthy, and certainly, as I have said, we
have heard the cr y, the clamour in the public domain,
that speak s to just that.
Mr. Chairman, under this overall budgeting we
heard the former Minister comment very recently that
schools may possibly be razed and then rebuilt with
$90 million. I have to ask where in this hundred and twenty -six plus million dollar budget is that funding put
in place, even though I know it might be a capital works funding ? But where is it where we are going to
end up with a new building? It is not there.
Mr. Chairman, in spite of . . . and I thought it
was an extremely good initiative which was undertaken under the former Minister, Wayne Scott, the
SCORE review. That was an excellent review. And I
have to applaud everybody who was involved in that
undertaking. There were many revelations made. I had hoped that the budget that we saw this year would take into account on a much larger scale (I will put it like that) those findings and look for ways to s eriously address them so that we could stand here and say that we are certainly moving forward in terms of trying to ensure that we have facilities and an infr astructure and the resources available to our educators that will match what we believe should be the type of system for the 21
st century students. Again, let me just
emphasise in meeting the needs of a 21st century
Bermuda, it definitely starts with education, and our budget should reflect as such. Mr. Chairman, under [page] C -4, I have to ask
the question, Is a $600,000 allocation sufficient
enough to fund the type of repairs so that our teachers
do not feel as though they have to engage in industrial
action which we have seen recently, so that we do not have to render our students to environments that are so unhealthy that it negatively impacts one’s health? I would say, given what we saw in the SCORE report,
Mr. Chairman, $600,000 is woefully inadequate. And I
can say, even though I saw the overall allotment un-der Public Works for schools, it was just over a million dollars, Mr. Chairman, and you add that million to the $600,000 to other areas that fall under the Ministry’s budget, and one has to ask the question, Does this
make a serious effort in terms of turning around the
conditions in education that will, as I said just now, help push our system closer towards the 21
st century
education that will make us even better competitors agains t other jurisdictions , and will render those who
graduate from our system equally marketable on ev ery level and with the aptitude to be able to successful-ly achieve if they chose to go directly to the workplace or move on to tertiary level education?
I am on page B- [115], and I am just looking at
the Ministry’s objectives. Again, we hear this recurring
question, Are we serious? Because the objectives are
quite good, which are:
• “To develop strategic policy for the public school education system that improves teac hing and learning in the classroom.
• “To implement policies focused on enhancing parental and community involvement and participation in the education system.
• “To support schools by ensuring that the
range of diverse services needed are provid-ed across the education system.”
936 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly And, one would hope that such objectives
could be accomplished with little to nothing. But we
just do not operate in our society like that. Mr. Chai rman, indeed, I think when you measure the budget allocation against trying to meet these aims , one is
immediately confronted with, when we look at our sy stem which we currently operate under, what really
would be needed in terms of achieving such objectives. The programmes pursued at the elementary and secondary levels are still controlled by the Ministry overall, as it should be, because they have to set the standard for the department and all of the schools and all of the other adjunct parts that make up education in
order to make certain that they are all aligned in trying
to meet those ends.
But, we heard the Ministry time and time
again speak about ensuring greater autonomy at the school level. When we compare that in countries where you see them, like, for instance, the top five
positions, or what have you, much autonomy is given
in such systems. Much autonomy is given to the ind ividual schools in meeting the Education Ministry’s o bjectives. In such systems flexibility is encouraged and
I know that the Ministry, in talking about efficiencies of
services and the like, they have introduced pr ogrammes where you see almost in every school a
template for them to follow. When we do introduce measures like this, sometimes the unintended cons equences can be , I guess , a diminishment of flexibility.
But in those schools which are successful
there is one thing that sticks out above all else, and that is they put their money where their mouth is at, Mr. Chairman, and they provide the funding required to bring about the outcomes and aims that will register as success within that school system. And it starts by having the budget which will correctly and properly
reflect that first and foremost a Government is serious
about education. You cannot accomplish those things ,
and one will not accomplish and Ministry will not accomplish all of their aims if the budget is inadequate.
And I am not convinced that with an increase of $2
million from last year to now that all of the aims which
were highlighted in the Minister’s brief, of which I did not have a copy, will be achieved with just $2 million more. I just cannot see that happening.
I did hear the Minister outline some of the new
services or new programmes that are being impl emented, or have recently been implemented in educ ation. I did try to jot them down, but I guess there were quite a few , and he was reading too fast for me to actually get it. But what I would ask with respect to that ,
as we go through the overall aims of the Ministry , is
that in this budget which has been allocated , what will
be in place to ensure that those new programmes ,
and h ow will they be able to effectively measure it to
ensure that those new plans will meet the needs of our system. It is one thing to say that we are going to introduce this , and we have professionals in this area
that can handle this situation, but when in real life we are tasked economically with trying to get those types
of results and are operating in an environment where
the challenges very negatively at times impact hous eholds, Mr. Chairman. When it comes down to the classroom setting you see the outcome of how a declining or a major decline in the economy over the years has impacted even members of your household
where we see far more students in the classroom setting with real social and behavioural problems, one again has to really just say, how ( when you have a
greater demand on those types of services, psych ological services and the like, that the Minister did high-light, he gave some names of some new programmes,
but I do not have them ) how, when there are far more
people using such services and the money that has
been put in place for that shows very little adjustment, and in some cases shows a decrease, but you really believe that you are going to have positive outcomes.
I have to query how. Since we are talking
about money, and we know that it takes money to get these programmes up and running and to get the req-uisite manpower and the like, then I have to ask ser iously, show me the exact measures within those pr ogrammes that will allow you to be able to measure the
outcomes that you are looking for .
We saw legislation with the introduction of the
councils. And we also had a new programme which is
some parental body, which is a volunteer board I be-lieve the Minister said.

I am still on the overall head
which speaks to the budgeting which will cover the
implementation of these programmes, Mr. Chairman. I
am asking again, what measures will be in place to
assess the success of this new parental board? I am
100 per cent in favour of as much parental involv ement, let me just declare that. And will this new board be aligned with the work that the councils are doing?
And what is in place to assess that? Because we hear
in the school systems that these councils in some schools I guess are successful, whilst in others they are not.
Mr. Chairman, on page B -115, under 26000,
General Administration. The Ministry employs, I think
three people. It reflects an increase of $120,000 and I
believe that the Minister stated that this was just i ncreases in salaries. For just three people, I find it cur ious, if you will, that they are looking at that much of an increase with so few people that sit in the Ministry.
Under 26080, and you are speaking about
grants. I want to ask the general question, Mr. Chai rman, I do not think all of the programmes were called out in terms of who is getting these grants. And for those, and I asked, who are being given grants, do they have to submit some sort of model that outlines the teaching, social, whatever type of benefits that


Bermuda House of A ssembly they feel that students within our system will realise?
Also, is there a register in the Ministry of such result s?
And do they keep a yearly record that serves as an
indicator of the level of success that is taking place on a perennial basis? I ask these questions, Mr. Chair-man, because we want to ensure that monies given are really serving those who it was designed to reach
and help serve.
I did explain to the Minister that I would have
much preferred to have put m y questions in a line and
in a way in which he presented his brief, but, again, I
say that because I did not have that available to me, my questions have been put forward this way.
Under [page] B-115, 26090, which deals with
scholarships and awards, Mr. Chairman, in 2015 the
actual scholarships and awards were $1,070,000.
This was a decline from the $134,000 that you saw in
2014. Now, here we are in looking at the budget year 2017/18 and we are looking at an allocation of
$1,220,000 which I think is the same allocation that
was given in the fiscal year we are currently operating in, soon to end at March 31. I have to ask again, with the rising costs for education in most countries and other incidental costs that impact on the personal
purse strings, Mr. Chairman, when we look at this
budget allocation for scholarships and awards [for]
people who generally do not have the affordability and we have to ask, even those who are academically successful and you are getting scholarships that do not look at financial means, one still has to ask that
when those monies get divided up, will they render
those recipients in a state where they still do not find themselves overly concerned about having to make up the costs ?
Continuing under this item, Mr. Chairman,
scholar ships and awards, 26090, we did hear of the
many scholarships that were new scholarships. Some may be continued. And these scholarships when we look at it considering the budget allocations for the last few years had the effect of really just bringing the
funding that was in this category previously to that
same level. We saw in previous years a significant
reduction in scholarships and awards categories col-lectively in specific areas in particular. And had the proper budget allocations been put in place for scho larships and awards, then I do not think that the Mini ster would have to have been tasked with trying to find
monies and having to introduce other categories of
scholarships, and some are laudable, in order to try and ensure that those who were deser ving were not
prevented from going on and following through on their academic endeavours. I do also want to ask why with this current
scholarships and award allocation, when you compare it with last year or with this fiscal year, the new allot-ment, why at least is there not some adjustment to reflect the increased costs that will be in place.
Looking at [page] C-16 I want to ask on item
6865, dealing with scholarships again, how many st u-dents will be receiving government scholarships in this
year, and w hether or not it has been capped off at
four? My next question will probably reveal what I
want to say, but because of the fact that in looking at the scholarship allocation, I think it was $600,000, you see a different category that says “Other Scholar-ships.” But when you add the two, it still matches the
allotment that was in place from the year before, and I guess I am wondering why, Mr. Chairman, it has been re-categorised that way , if you will, because my co ncern is that in challenging times like these we have so
many talented students , and the Minister did speak to
some of the accomplishments of our students at the
senior level. We see a school with a 97 per cent graduation rate. And that speaks volumes for our public
education system. I just want to s ay that. When you
see that level of achievement, you want to ensure that those who may not have the necessary funds be gi ven every opportunity to pursue their academic
dreams, especially those who have worked so very
hard, so diligently to try and achieve at high levels.
When a Government rewards those efforts,
and I am not saying that this Government has not, I am just hoping that more can be in place to reward
more so that we do not have to be concerned with
those who deserve to go somewhere else, but no t
having the affordability to do so. And I include in that category even those students who achieve in the dual programme associate degrees that do reduce the ex-penses needed for their tertiary education. But even
sometimes having gone through that and hav ing
achieved that, some of those same students still ca nnot find the funding that they need to go further. So,
being an advocate for education, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to see more funding in terms of schol-arships in place for those who deserve it.
Continuing with 26090, I would like to know
what the total number [of scholarships] that the $180,000 allocation for others will fund exactly. Again, the Minister may have called off one or two of those awards or scholarships, but I did not get all the
names. And I can say this, that he did just mention
one category that spoke to financial needs. And I want
to know what the criterion is for so selecting people who will benefit in that “others” category for scholar-ships. I am sure it is not just discretionary. But I would like a better breakdown of what the criteria is. I think
that when we are out there in the public domain and
students are inquiring from us where they can go, what scholarships they can access and apply for, it is much better if we know in detail what those scholarships are and what the requirements are in order for one to apply.
I just want to know whether or not on 6866
[from page C -16] this current administration intends to
increase the number back up to eight just for the go vernment scholarships. I would just like to know if there is any thought being put to that. I really do think that if we are being serious about our commitment to our
938 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly students, as I have said, that looking at another
$600,000 or so for the “other scholarships” category,
why can’t we do something like that to make certain that a good portion of our deserving students are able to capitalise on that?
Under 6867, in 2014/15 there was, I think
$105,000 in the mature scholarship award category.
In 2015/16 that fell to $60,000. In these tough ec onomic times, Mr. Chairman, I think the argument can
be made for why we need even more than the alloc ation that I see there, money to be made available. We know of the impact that technology has had in our workforce. And it has required many working adults to
seriously go back to the drawing board and re- think
their career path. And it has required many to re- tool
or re-professionalise because they have to acquire the
skill that will make them marketable and apt players in
this 21
st century environment. And so many of such
people are bogged down with the everyday hustle and
bustle of life and many come from . . . I guess they
may be employed but their salaries are such that they
do not provide the affordability to go and re -
professional ise or re- tool and get the skills, even at
Bermuda College where they have excellent rates for tertiary education.
So, Mr. Chairman, I think that is a valid argument for why we need a higher budget allocation. I ndeed, the Minister has heard me mouth more than
once on the floor today the different areas that he
called off and heard me mouth it is just not enough;
there is not enough funding in place to adequately do
these jobs that are outlined in each category.
The question begs again, What is the real
message that we are sending to our people when I
think you have a situation you can see the millions
and millions of dollars which are being allocated in
areas like America’s Cup, millions of dollars will go towards building a new airport, yet, when you look at our budget for education you see an increase of $2 million. And in real terms , Mr. Chairman, that is no
increase at all, because everything is going up. So, I
can honestly say that the challenges of the conditions
of the schools and what have you, those monies, even though they will fund certain programmes, the condi-tions and the angst often experienced in an environ-ment where you are constantly challenged to figure out how you are going to provide support to ensure
the instructional delivery goes as it needs to go to encourage and promote and foster success of our st udents, when, with a budget like this those types of conditions will continue to prevail, because it is wo efully insufficient to seriously put a major dent in eradicating some of those issues.
Under 6864 for teacher training, in 2015/16
there was an estimated budget of $60,000. And it was revised to $70,000, but the actual budget was $71,000. When you look at the allocation currently for this next fiscal year, again, one has to question, es pecially if we are talking about education and we are trying to ensure that our teachers have the requisite
foundation that will render them experts in the clas sroom setting, you have to wonder are we really, really
trying to get it right for our students and for our peo-ple? Because in order to do it, there has to be a r eflection in our budget allocation which says, No, no,
no. I am going to make sure that what’s needed to
ensure their success is there. And we want to ensure
success for all our teachers. We want to ensure success for our up and coming teachers , and it has to be
reflected appropriately in their budget allocation.
Again, when we look in the same area and we
look at the 2016/17, we only see 60 there and it was revised to 130. So the same question, the same questions come to the fore.
On page B -116, Mr. Chairman, I mentioned
before about the three staff members. Back in 2014/15 it was $194,000. In 2015/16 it was adjusted to $399,000. And that may have been because I think
it was shared with Ec onomic Development at that time
(I think). But I want to just ask that question. That was
a significant increase for these three people. So I want to ask the question whether or not that was really the case, and we now see that there is an extra $20,000
being put in place and again, when I look at $419,000
as compared to a few years ago, $194,000, I want to know what those increases are really reflecting. I need to understand where the money is going.
From that, we get a look and see for this new
year coming up it has dropped back down to . . . e xcuse me, Mr. Chairman, I misspoke just now. Four hundred and nineteen thousand [dollars] was what was actually needed in the year 2015/16, and where we do see that down to $369,000. But I still want to understand what that is for. We actually spent
$419,000 in 2015/16 with increases. And, again, I
know I will hear about efficiency of services; but let us
hear about how you are able to implement that and what that means in practical terms, because I need to understa nd how you can reduce something and then
still say that you are going to be able to meet the outcomes that you are mandated to meet .
I need to ask about professional services. I do
not know how much time he spent on that, but, again,
what does the $140,000 reflect in terms of the ser-vices that will be provided? That, too is fairly signif icant.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to move to Head
17, which is on page B -118. We are talking specifically about the department. As I would expect any Minis-try to say , a first-class education of global standards is
what the vision of our Ministry is. Again, they believe
that end can be achieved by providing comprehensive
student services, curriculum , and school support for
interventions so that student academic and beha vioural needs are identified and supported; to support
schools in improving the quality of teaching and lear ning in order that students reach their highest potential;
and to provide leadership expertise and capacity


Bermuda House of A ssembly building opportunities for system and school leaders in
order to improve student outcomes.
Now, Mr. Chairman, I can say that anybody
involved in education would operate to try to meet
those objectives. And I do not believe for one minute that this is not what the Ministry or Department of E ducatio n is attempting to do, because they are. But I do
believe that . . . well, philosophically and ideologically I
think that the approach the OBA has taken versus the
approach that we will take as has been highlighted in our Reply to the Budget speaks to how we can arrive at those outcomes and meet those objectives.
Let me bring it all under one umbrella by
simply stating that the Progressive Labour Party believes that by putting your money where your mouth is at, if you think education is first then reflect it in a
budget that will allow the players within education to meet those aims so that our students can be succes sful, because, again, when we are faced with a budget
that year after year has been demonstrated with much
difficulty in meeting those ends then we have to be realistic and look at that and ask ourselves what are
we really doing here.
On [page] B-119, under 27030, the Human
Resources budget estimates. In various budget allo-cations over the years we have seen some significant
fluctuations as well. In 2014/15 we saw an allocation of $858,000 with an estimated budget of $1,027,000 in 2015/16 to an actual of $660,000 that same year which was considerably lower than what the original
estimate was. Now, we see it has shifted back to
nearly a million, with an estimate of $970,000 for
2017/18. What is driving these significant fluctuations? What is still existing within that department? What has been removed? And if there is nothing, then how is it that we have such significant changes in funding all ocations, Mr. Minister?
In the 27031, which covers school improv ement, again in 2014/15 it was, I think, $901,00 0; in
2015/16 an estimate at $1.5 million; a nd it was actually $769,000. In the 2016/17 year at $652,000. I heard
the Minister, because I was not s ure what existed in
this category, and I think he spoke about mentors that
assist teachers.

Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes.

Thank you, Minister. New
teachers, yes.
I think I have given the heading that was
there, I may have deviated from what the Minister said
that the figure represents, but I have to . . . I will ask
my question this way: When I look at the school i mprovement programme that looks at the mentors, and
I look at and compare this with the allocations that are there for cap ital development, which is totalling about
$2,148,000, and I look at . . . yes, I think that is co rrect. And I look at on page B- 122, Repair and Maint enance, and I combine that . . . that is what I was look-ing at to combine, under school improvement, because all of it in one way speaks to school improv ement and, again, the questions that come to the fore
are things such as the deplorable state of many, the physical state (let me be clear), the deplorable phys ical state . . . that is why I mentioned [page] C-4 and B -
122, the deplorable physical state that prevails with
many of our schools. With these allocations, partic ularly under pages C-4 and B -122, Repair and Maint enance, these allocations, I have to say that there is no
way that we can be convinced, given what certain r epairs cost that right now I believe you are serious about improving the condition of our schools.
I believe that the mentorship programme is an
excellent programme. I know it is challenging in terms of those mentors with the new teachers being able to gather around. But I think they do a great job, and so
in no way do I want to say anything that suggests ot herwise. But when you combine with the monies avai lable for capital development and monies available for the repair and maintenance, and we are talking about
school improvement, then I think that more needs to be done, more monies need to be put in place so we can seriously address the conditions of our schools,
because none of those monies adds up to $90 million
that would allow us to build a new school that they are saying in some situations that is what needs to hap-pen. Again, what jumps to the fore is that where is the real commitment to getting it right?
Under Repair and Maintenance, under page
C-4, let me take a quick look, because I think I forgot
to write it here . . . okay, I am clear, fine. Let us just
move on to 27090, Educational Standards, again, we
see a significant drop from the last budget to now. I think it is $225,000. When we want to go back even farther in 2014/15 it was $1 million. What measures
have been achieved under this category that results in
such a reduction where one has to believe, given what you are saying in terms of the budget allocations and what you believe that you can meet the mandates, what measures can be achieved with this type of r eduction where services will not be challenged and compromised? What measures do you have in place to ensure that? The only way that I can understand this change, one would need to highlight for me what
you have in place that allows you to reach the same end with fewer dollars.
I do recall, Minister, I know that you talked
about, for instance in the area of psychologists where
you have them in other programmes , and you can
achieve the same [results] with basically the same
number of psychologists who would service all
schools and these special programmes, but I need to
know exactly what is going on here that would allow
you to think that you can reach the same [results] .
Under 27160, the substitute figures seem to
better reflect monies needed to ensure continuance of
instructional delivery when full -time teachers are absent. However, included in this budget where will
940 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda Hous e of Assembly there be, when you answer the questions, Minister,
training, standards of measures provided for those
who serve as substitutes? And you spoke specifically
about teachers who do not have certification (I am trying to remember what you said). However, what I have to ask you is this, Minister: Even for those sub-stitute teachers who are certified teachers, do they
have the requisite background when they are called into certain classes to actually properly cover for a teacher who is out? Sometimes this year a math teacher who is . . . a teacher who was trained in
mathematics coming in to sub for French, for instance, and there has to be . . . unless the students are, for
instance, just doing some simple paperwork or maybe just doing recall work, or what have you, then are we not compromising instructional delivery when we put people in classrooms that are really not qualified to teach in certain domains?
I have to put that there because I want to get
to the real point that I am trying to make, which is that I see in this budget where there is a reduction, just by one, down to 43 substitutes. And I heard you say that these are allocated subs for each school. I think many parents can attest to the fact that, especially if you
have a high level of illness at certain times, those 43
substitute teachers sometimes are not sufficient to
cover classes. In fact, what happens quite often is that other teachers are expected to fill in. And there is nothing wrong with that, and I do not know a teacher worth their salt who, when a colleague is out sick, will
not willingly cover for their colleague. But when that is
abused, then we face another situation which is in violation of the Bermuda Union of Teachers agree-ment.
I bring that to the fore because I think that we
need to re- think the substitute list and assure that we
have retired, qualified teachers, we have a whole host of teachers who just might not be working right now
for whatever reasons, but we have more than enough that we can rely on. We do not have to slavishly stick to this number of 43 that we know in years gone by,
43 still resulted quite often in students not having the
instruction that they needed in their programme because the manpower was not there to cover the clas-ses. So one has to look at that seriously and adjust those figures so that we can ensure that instruction, and quality instruction— let us make that clear—is
never compromised.
On 1702, [Student Services], I will just deal
with it from an overall perspective. Again, just basical-ly looking at the economically challenging times and looking at, particularly, things like the learning support programme, even the gifted and talented, you look at
the paraprofessionals, which are needed. Minister,
you spoke about the autism programme and you spoke about the alternative programme. We have a budget of $16,646,000 which when we operate in a time when there are greater numbers of students who
rely on these types of services, we have . . . I am as k-ing how are we truly meeting their needs if the manpower that is in place, if the monies that are in place,
have not been adequately able to do that previously. I can think of counsellors who have such a large cas eload that they cannot give the services to the students which the students so desperately need and deserve.
You have learning support , and there is a high portion
of students in many of the classrooms throughout our Island who require some sort of learning support. And
yet, we do not have numbers, in my opinion, that ade-quately deal with the needs of these students.
And I guess what I am wondering is, when we
talk about
efficiencies of services, all too often we look
at it by reducing money and having people cross -
trained.
I heard you speak about train-ing, that
professional development. I am all for profes-sional
development, Minister. And I heard you speak about
professional development so that
teachers can better
work with students, which are falling into these types
of categories, however, I have to say this: Efficiencies of services do not always mean reduced
monies and one person
multitasking to get the job
done. We all know that expression Jack of all trades;
master of none. We want our teachers in every area
to do a quality job. So what I am saying to you, Minister, is that given the increased number of students
who rely on these services, and the type of demands
that are placed upon a teacher who is responsible for
delivering such services, when we actually should,
perhaps in certain areas, lower these student/teacher
ratios or provide increased one- on-one services we
still, again, stick to numbers where we see that all of
our students relying on these services are not being
serviced as they should. And sometimes we have to
look to external bodies, even other jurisdictions to
have certain needs met. So I am just, again, throwing
it out there. How realistic are we when we continue to
produce budget s where when it was $25 million more
it was not enough; and now, $25 million less, we are
saying we should be able to get the job done?
No one has really outlined to me, when I look
at some of the outcomes where you have been able to
meet those efficiencies of services without in some way asking teachers to operate in less than suitable conditions, asking students to operate in less than
desirable and suitable conditions, and we are saying
in 21
st century Bermuda education is supposed to be
number one, if we are going to be the best, the prim ary, the first choice for our children then that needs to be reflected in the environment that we have our st udents and teachers operating in.
On 27073, Summer Programme. The reason I
am asking the question about this is because I see zero monies there. So my question is a very obvious one. What is happening with this programme? How will those students who rely on the summer pr ogramme, who have not reached mastery during the


Bermuda House of A ssembly current school year and sometimes need extra tuition
within a certain education module, and we had in the
past provided such services, is this being taken away?
Is this being subsumed somewhere else? Please tell me, because I need to know what we are going to do with those students who, not having the success wit hin the normal school year can sometimes realise that
success with the summer programme that we have
offered them in the past.
Mr. Chairman, on page B -120, items 1704,
1705, 1706, and moving over to page B -121, 1707
and 1708. Again, in essence we are seeing . . . I will
look at preschools first.
Basically, Minister, you have explained that
the slight fluctuation in the budget allocation for the most part has to do with changes in staffing matters. So that has been pretty clear across most of these areas, but when I come across to the middle school areas I want to ask . . . you talked about your transformational programme and I want to ask, basically, in your transformational programme, and I know that the way in which we are assessing mastery with our st udents has somewhat been modified. And I am all for measuring individual performance and growth for ev ery student, because that is how you assess your [teaching] anyway. And I am all for formative forms of
evaluation.
But I would like to know with the decades of
data that show outcomes for the middle school with your transformational plan that you say you have in
place, how can you feel assured that you are going to
turn it around and improve public confidence in our middle school system? I want to say here that we in
the PLP have a different approach for this, because we are not opposed to the middle school for middle school’s sake. We believe that the middle schools
should be subsumed within the secondary level education because we believe, especially when research has shown how important peers are at that particular developmental stage. In fact, peers are more i mportant to those students than their actual parents.
That is what the data shows. And if it is not peers, it is
media. And that has been constant.
So we believe that many of the social and
emotional issues that students at that age are con-fronted with can be best addressed when you have those peers right there under the same roof with them
modelling all these successful behaviours for those
lower -end students. So you have heard us say that we
will return to a two- tiered system. But we are not going
to throw the baby out with the bathwater because we
believe in all of the positive things that are in place to
deal with students at that age level. And I can say that
I have worked with at least one person in this room
who has operated in a system that had a lower senior school and an upper senior school, and in that partic ular setting those students’ needs were effectively dealt with and catered to. So that is just an idea that I am basically
throwing out there, because I do not want people to get it wrong. But I would like to hear regarding your so-called transformational reform, what really is being
put in place to meet those students’ needs, because the data over the decades , of one year of success and
two years of success weighed against 20 years of r esults that have not rendered our students at a point where they should have been, is not sufficient, I think
for most people, to accept, that by just implementing
this transformation, your restructuring plan is going to lead to the successes that we all want. And on top of all of that, we want confidence restored in our educ ational system.
I query here under 270 . . . 1709 where you
have the 75 per cent decrease. I think that is for the
Literacy Initiative. And I heard how you highlighted all throughout the Minister’s brief the fundamental i mportance of literacy. And I am saying that if it is that
important, particularly at the lower end, because that
is the foundational year, and we know that importance remains as you go all the way through and into your senior education. But if literacy is that important, how do you justify only $25,000 being put in place to e nsure improved outcomes in that area? It just . . . that
sort of left me at odds.
Those of us who are educators looking at
27020, 27520, my comments may be clustered t ogether . . . any educator will tell you that your asses sment and evaluative tools must be aligned with the
learning styles of those students being measured . And
we know how dynamic the educational arena is. And
anybody who tries to say that education is the same
as 20 years ago, 40 years ago, we know it is not the
same as 100 years ago, clearly are definitely out of
touch with what should happen and what needs to
happen in education on a continuum.
We need to ensure that our evaluative and
assessment tools are the correct measuring sticks for those students that they are measuring. And I ask again if the funding allocations are correctly and acc urately applied. When you look at the types of techno-logical tools and the fact that we live in a technologi-cally driven age, I think everyone would agree that our schools should be reflective of that. So it is of the ut-most importance that the IT within our schools is in
place and operating for both our students and teac hers.
I saw that with IT the numbers have not
changed. But I dare say that we should be in a system now where in every school we should have a staff
member who is there for the purpose of IT to ensure
that the programmes are there and running efficiently
and the like. I think it is paramount in today’s enviro nment in our schools that rely on technology, and we
have seen so many schools . . . I know that I have
visite d many schools and I go in there and like only
four or five computers are working. I am talking about
recently, Minister. Only five computers are working
942 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly and you see like 20 or 25 computers in the room. You
are like, Okay. We can make all these brags about
education, but the reality is what good are the technological tools if they are inoperable. So, the funding that
we put in place for areas like this must actually service the needs.
I know that there are a couple of Members
who would also like to speak, so I am going to try to
speed it up for other people to participate.
On page B-121, 27524, Early College and C areer Pathways. There is a modest increase of about $101,000. Does this money translate into . . . I will say
that differently. Does this money translate into . . . sorry, practically into the delivery of the programme? Again, students who become aware of this pr ogramme, and those students who are operating on a high level, and of the allocations there, and I heard it
stated somewhere, that there are at least 10 students
now who are enrolled in this dual programme. And
then we also have students in the high school level,
and I think some in the middle school level, who are on the Career Pathway s programme. And in servicing
all of the learning styles, the interests of our students, are we really putting what needs to be put in place
financially for those programmes to deliver as they
should?
Again, I did hear where they are trying to attract the private students into this same programme. And I have to ask will those coming from the private schools who are participating in the dual programme
have fees levied on them?
Let me finish Head 17 by saying that success
in any school system lies in ensuring adequate staf fing along with resources. And in trying to ensure an
efficient first -class delivery requires appropriate manpower. Efficiency does not mean, Minister, doing more with less; it means putting skills and reliable manpo wer in place with the proper tools so that they can eff iciently and properly del iver to achieve the required
outcomes. And the same applies in ensuring succes sful and well -skilled students.
I just want to go quickly to Bermuda College,
and I will allow my colleague to speak more on the
Bermuda College head. This is our tertiary, we see a budget allocation of $15- plus million, which is a slight
reduction from the previous year. Again, that is a trend that we have observed. I want to say I believe Berm uda College is an institution of excellence and it pr ovides a first -class education for those who grace its
doors, both academically and in technical and voc ational realms. It is a centre where people go to re-professionalise, re- tool, build their foundation for their
next step to tertiary level education beyond our
shores; they go there to sharpen existing skills and to
ready themselves, ultimately, for this 21
st century that
we are living in.
Again, as the Minister stated, we saw that the
College was successful in attaining a 10- year accreditation. To me, given the sister universities whi ch are likewise accredited under the (I would call it) the board that they get that designation from, we see that we are
on line with even what you can call some of your Ivy League schools. Some are the top schools in the States. So it speaks to the level of rigour and the c apabilities that the Bermuda College has in helping to mould and develop up- and-coming Bermudians and
the mature students alike.
That can be seen. It is evidenced in its bus iness, its insurance, its nursing programmes, and with programmes such as this and the way in which the Bermuda College is trying to ensure its academic de-livery in doing online programmes with sister univers ities overseas. One wants to make certain that the
type of funding that is needed is there so that the president , with her colleagues, can get on with the
business of constantly developing the product at the College so that its services all Bermudians and others who walk through their doors with their needs in terms
of being operational in the workforce.
I had the opportunity to walk through the Co llege and I see the advances that are being made in
the electricians, the plumber programmes, the certif ication that is now in place, even though they are
young men involved in the programme, that will put
them in good stead as they become professionals. So they are getting a solid foundation. Again, with the library that is in place up there, it is an excellent r esource. And those students who choose to do their masters programmes and the like are not hampered in
any way, b ecause they can go to the Bermuda College and use those services as a resource centre, as
a research centre, and they are able to be successful.
I do have a question that I think begs, in particular, in that looking at the programmes at the Ber-muda College, I have to ask what Government is doing to better assure alignment between the Workforce
Development and that institution, because fundamen-tally those two areas are trying to do the same thing. They want to ensure that our citizens have the requ isite skills to make them productive citizens, in essence.
I note that there was I think a capital alloc ation. I think it is $150,000, a capital grant. And I know,
given that we have seen reductions in the budget ev ery year, that Bermuda College will make much use o f
this money in trying to enhance the programmes that
they have there in trying to enhance the technology
that they have there to ensure that our College stays on the same level with sister colleges and universities overseas. I know in a small jurisdiction like this and
the allocation, that is a very challenging task for the president and her team. But, I think the way in which
they have grown their product there at Bermuda College, you can see that they are using much ingenuity and innovation to ensure that they service the people who go there and grace their doors.
I guess I would like to basically finish by sa ying that in essence even though here in Bermuda we


Bermuda House of A ssembly are faced with economic challenges we definitely (and
I have to put this out there) . . . we def initely have to
be serious if we are talking about having a first -class
education, if we are talking about ensuring that our
students are on par with other jurisdictions, we must reflect that by making certain that we put proper, ad equate budget allocations in place that will allow us to
address those things that we need to change and
make better in ensuring a first -class education and in
ensuring that our education system will provide st udents who can perform in our 21
st century Bermuda,
and will grow students and develop students that if they chose to be on any stage in any arena in any part
of this world they will have the skills required to get
the job done. And on that note, Mr. Chairman, I will take my seat and allow others to participate.

[Mrs. Suzan n Roberts -Holshouser, Chairman]

Madam Chairman, I think that all
of us believe that our goal is educational excellence,
and we achieve that with the collaboration of parents, teachers, children, and the Ministry of Education. One
of the things that we are looking at in terms of improving our schools is our educational standards and I
think that the budget reflects fairly the things that we are trying to do. We are implementing a strategic plan. We want to allow our children to benefit from the best education possible, and one of the things I would like
to say at this point is that I am certainly glad that
Freddie Evans is in place as Commissioner of Educ ation.

[Desk thumping]

I would like to give him my co ngratulations. And I believe that he will provide stability to the Ministry which has been lacking for a long time.
I think it will eliminate a lot of uncertainty and we can go forward with the security that we have somebody in place that is going to help us achieve the objectives that we have. Our kids only get one shot at a good educ ation and so we want to make sure that we get it right. I do not think that money necessarily equates to ac ademic outcome. I think we have to use our resources in the best way and allocate our resources in the best way. So, one of the things that we are looking at in terms of human resources is ensuring that our teac hers are qualified and that they get good teacher trai ning. One of the things that I am going to do as the Junior Minister is actually attend some of the teacher
training courses that are being given so that I can understand what the teachers are being taught and what is being implemented in the classrooms.
I am sure you will agree nowadays the clas sroom of children is not the classroom of children that we had growing up. These are children that have come from families that have suffered gang violence, whether they are the family member of the perpetrator
or the victim. They have to be able to work together.
So we need to be able to allocate our resources to effectively manage and assist those c hildren in the
best way possible so we can support their emotional needs as well as also being able to support their ac ademic needs.
Under line item 27050, IT Support, one of the
things we are doing as a Government is looking for partners to work with us to ensure that we can have Wi-Fi and IT technology in all the schools. I agree that
this is something important, particularly with the STEM subjects that are taking the lead. And we need to have
our children prepared and equipped in being able to
have access to a whole diverse world, and you can do
that through having a supportive Internet network where you can have webinars and you can have your iPads and, you know, I think there is a commercial where a little girl is asked what she did in school that
day, and she looked at some rhinoceroses in one
place and something. So we can provide a diverse
environment for our children with the necessary IT support. So we are looking for partners to be able to assist us and facilitate that.
My position is that it is n ot so much what we
spend, it is how we spend it and how we allocate our resources. We have to ensure that our teachers are trained properly. So, under 27030, again, we want to make sure that our teachers are trained properly , and
we also want to make sure that we recruit teachers
that are going to be able to provide our children with
the necessary skills and equip our children. You know ,
unfortunately, teachers are not given the level of r espect that they should be given, and we have to a ppreciate that teachers spend eight hours a day with our children, which is probably a lot more than some
parents spend with their children. So, I believe that we
do have the allocated sufficient resources to ensure
that our teachers are trained properly to provide our children with the necessary skills to become productive members of our community.
944 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly I think that under Behaviour Management, this
is an important line item. I think, again, going back to
the children are not the same as when we were com-ing along in school, so they do need to be supported. So this is money well spent in providing our educators with the ability to manage the children in the clas sroom.
School Improvement. I actually went up to T.
N. Tatem last week to go through the school after the mould remediation and I met with the principal, and
Terry Cox from the Ministry went with me. We went through most of the school. I think most of the rem ediation has been done. There are still some concerns,
but I think generally overall teachers are satisfied.
They are going back into the classroom and they are happy with the work that has been done.
I do not have much more to add. I do agree
with my honourable colleague’s point about autonomy in schools. And in order to take advantage of the o pportunities that autonomy has we have to provide our teachers with the tools that they need to succeed. And I believe that this budget reflects that through the monies that have been allocated for those things.
And, with that, I will take my seat.

Thank you, Madam Chai rman.
Madam Chairman, as one of three Members
of the Legislature who actually has a child in the public school system, my interest in this topic lies not only beyond the debate that goes back and forth in this House, but I have a personal vested interest in the
schools doing very well. As a matter of fact, I was
quite proud that my daughter’s class was here this morning, and she was able to see . . . although she
knows what is going on up here through our convers ations. But she will see things happening in real time.
Representing Elliot Primary as the PTA president for
the last two years demonstrates the commitment that I have to this process, and I do truly want to see what is best for our students.
Madam Chairman, I am happy to see that a
Commissioner has been appointed. This has been a
long time coming. We have been nearly four years
without a Commissioner. As someone who was a for-mer Junior Minister for the Department of Education, I know how important the role of the Commissioner is, and what role that person plays in moving this train forward. So, finally, we do see one in place. So hopefully we can see some good things coming out of that.
And I want to take this time to congratulate Dr. Fred-die Evans for finally moving up from interim to Co mmissioner.
Now, Madam Chairman, we have issues wit hin our school system which are well vocalised. Ever y-body gets up and everybody has an opinion, and ev erybody talks about what is going on. Of course, as I just said, some of them are a bit more personal to others than to the rest, but when we talk about fiscal responsibility when it comes to the education and
well-being of our children, I know my honourable colleague across the way just spoke about you cannot
. . . it is not just about money. But in some cases,
common sense does need to prevail. So, when it
comes to the safety of our children, I believe that is so paramount that we should never, never look to skimp when it comes to things like that.
When I look back at last year when we had
one of our public primary schools without a fire alarm system for almost two months, these are the types of things where we need to jump on them right away. We need to get that fixed. Just earlier this month, it came to my attention that there was a school that had not had soap for four or five weeks. You know, soap to
wash your hands. Simple basic stuff like that. These
are the things that . . . you know, if we cannot get
these simple things right, we cannot even begin to start talking about the bigger things that need to hap-pen.
Madam Chairman, when I look at page B -122
and I look at the repair and maintenance budget and the material and supplies and I see cuts once again, I
have to wonder why. These are critical areas that cannot even afford even the smallest cut . . . the cut is
not that big, but even the smallest of cuts. I am sure
all of us have heard the stories about there not being
material at the school, there not being paper and the like. I can tell from a personal experience where my daughter was unable to bring home homework for close to four weeks because the photocopier did not work. So these are the types of things . . . if we cannot
get these basic things right, we are just spinning our wheels when we are talking about everything else.
Again, Madam Chairman, when I look at page
B-119 under the cost centre 27074, Learning Support.
I see further cuts. And here I am truly concerned, b ecause as my colleague across the way mentioned, we are facing a different type of student in today’s schools. And we have a population now that it is well known that we are going through some social issues. And those social issues tend to bleed over into our
school system. So if we are looking at things like
learning support and cutting in those areas, we are
not doing our children a very good service, because these are the areas where we really ought to be put-ting some resources in and really looking out for them.
Madam Chairman, just like a lot of the public, I
was very excited to hear the Minister read a statement
in these Chambers talking about new awards that
were coming out for our students. In fact, those awards were the Minister ’s Achievement Award, the
Merit Award, the Technical Vocation Award, and the Exceptional Student Award. Great initiatives. And


Bermuda House of A ssembly when we looked at this we were like, Wow! Let’s get
on with this.
I remember that I was very vocal when I sat in
another place when the budget for further education
awards went from $720,000 to $360,000, and then to $40,000 one year. It has crept back up now, but it was drastically cut. And we know that the further education
awards are awards that are given to students who
demonst rate financial need. So when we cut those
awards, we are really, really hurting a great deal of potential students when it comes time for them to ap-ply for these awards. But, Madam Chairman, when I looked at page C -16 and looked at the awards, I a lmost fel t duped. And why did I feel duped, Madam
Chairman? Because the Minister mentioned in his brief that we had 24 government scholarships, 24 fur-ther education awards, 3 mature student awards, and 4 teaching awards last year, for a budget of $1.2 mi llion. Howe ver, this year, the budget remains the
same.
So, I asked myself, How are we having all
these new awards if our budget is remaining the same as what it was last year? Well, Madam Chairman, it
remained the same because we are cutting teacher
training awards and we are cutting government scholarship budgets. And the money we are cutting from there is now going to be used for these new awards.
So, Madam Chairman, we have a statement
that is being put out that leaves the public under the impression that more money is being put into aiding
students to go off to tertiary education but, in fact, we are not. We are just creating a new award and shuf-fling money around the deck . So we are not putting
more money into the system; we are just taking mon-ey from somewhere else and shifting it over here. So I found that a bit disingenuous. And you wonder why I
stand up here week in and week out and talk about a
trust deficit. These are the types of things that people
see and say, Wait a minute. It sounded like you had
put more money in it, but you’re not. Why don’t you
just say that? Say we are reducing the amount of
. . .You know, I would be more inclined to tolerate
hearing that we are reducing the money for some
awards because we are going to give them in a differ-ent place. I can understand that. I understand the fiscal restraints you are under. But to come out and be
very magnanimous about it and talk about, We have these new awards . . . it’s a great thing to say that we
are going to be doing this, only to find out they are just
taking money from another award and shifting it over here. It just left me with a really bad taste in my mouth.
Madam Chairman, the Minister talked about
the Parental Involvement Committee, which sounds like a great idea, something that we can move forward for. I am unsure what the cost centre is, so I cannot speak to it, I do not believe the Minister did actually assign it to a cost centre. But when I look at this pr ogramme I also would like to see some support given to parents in general. When I say that, Madam Chai rman, as we said it is a different type of student; there is also a different type of learning going on now. So we have a generation of parents who want to help their children and be more effective with their children. But they are l ooking over what the children are brin ging home and they are wondering, I don’t understand
this, especially when we talk about how we are mar king the Cambridge exams and the types of questions.
I have been to seminars for Cambridge, and
you are listening to the question and the adults in the
room are like, What are they saying? So more support
[is needed] on that level as well, to help the parents
who are struggling to help their children. We can do
that. Again, the Minister did not mention the cost cen-tre, so I do not know where some of these things fall, but very recently LiteracyPro and DreamBox were introduced at the various schools. But you have par-ents at home who do not have access to the computers and the necessary equipment to access these
wonderful tools that the children love.
When I looked at Elliot [Primary], they love
being on this. Unfortunately, there are not enough
computers. So, half the class gets to use it while half
the class does something else, then they come out
and the other half comes in. So you have those sorts of things. I am fortunate enough to be able to . . . you
know, my daughter is able to use those tools and she absolutely loves them. She doesn’t want to watch TV, she wants to get on this and work on math problems.
She doesn’t want to play with dolls, she wants to read the books so she can go on and say, I’ve read the
book, and answered the various quizzes about it . But
more support to allow programmes like that to blos-som.
Just moving on quickly, because I do want to
leave some time for the Minister, I just want to talk
about Bermuda College, Head 41. Bermuda College does a wonderful, wonderful job at what it is they are tasked to do. I see the president over there, I want to say hello. I know her. I have sat on the Bermuda College Board. I know some of the trials and tribulations that go on up there, and I do know they are trying.
I was disappointed to see that once again the
budget has been decreased. It is a small amount,
$42,000 [sic]. But, $47,000 [sic] is . . . for some people
that is nothing; but for others that could be, I believe tuition up there is like $2,000 per semester. That could
fund quite a few students that want to come up there. Quite recently I had a tour of the Bermuda College facilities with some of my colleagues and we got to
see first-hand some of the wonderful things going on.
But we also got first -hand to see where there are def initely things that are needed to be done up there to improve the quality of the environment.
I was very shocked to find out that the cafet eria is not in play anymore. That really, really disap-pointed me. As an adjunct teacher up there I used to go there all the time when I was there. And now that I
946 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly am back up there for another programme, I was thinking, you know, Let me go down there and get something to eat, and it was locked! You have to go to the
bookstore. Great thing they have done with the
bookstore, but, you know, it is not the same thing ac-tually. When I was there previously, it was a teaching facility. So you had the culinary students down there
actually cooking and serving. So it gave back and was
something that could be used. I am not sure what the students are doing now, but we are looking at that.
I mentioned the College, and I want to talk
about the applied tec hnology programme that the Minister spoke to, because he spoke to it and it actually
falls under the Ministry, but he spoke to it more during
the Bermuda College. So, when I speak to the cost centre, it actually goes back a few pages. This is a programme that I can personally speak to. And when I say personally speak to, it is because I am one of the lecturers for one of the courses. So I deal with these
high school students twice a week for four hours . . .
no, six hours a week ; an hour and a half each day
with them . . . no, six hour a day, sorry.
So, I see first- hand how the students start a
semester and how they have grown through there. One of the things , we had a very heart -to-heart conversation yesterday because only a few of them did
very well on my midterm. And there is a level of m aturity that is actually needed within the young men. And what I do find is that the component of critical thinking is not something that they fully engage yet.
So I am not sure what is going on in the high school
because . . . and I will tell a quick joke about the exam.
The exam was six exercises they had to do.
There was an easy one, a really hard one, two easy ones, and then a medium one. And every time I talked
to them I would say, Go through your work completely
first, see what you can do, and then come back and
really base what you are going to do based on what you see in front of you. Instead most of them looked at
question 1, did it; looked at question 2 and then got
stuck. Now, i f they had read through and done question 1, 2, 3 and 4, all of them would have passed; but
most of them got stuck on that.
So when we talk about critical thinking, I talk
to them all the time. It is not just what is in front of you;
look at it , analyse it , and see what you can do to m ake
it easier for yourself. Don’t just do . . . and so many of
them are so used to teachers telling them to read 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and that is what they do. And then they stop
while they are waiting for something else. So, this programme, I think it is going to have a wonderful e ffect on some of these young guys on how they look at
their approach to not just schooling, but life overall.
The only issue that I do have with this pr ogramme, and I am referring to page B- 121, cost centre 27524, and that is Early College and Career Pat hways budget, I am heartened to see that the budget
has actually been increased by $100K, because one of the issues we were having this year was, yes, they
are in high school, but there are things that they are
required to purchase. And some of them just cannot
afford it. So they are going through the course, but they cannot buy the equipment to be very effective in the course. One of the things they did this year in electronics was build multimeters. Multimeters measure voltage and stuf f.
So they had to buy these kits. Some students
could afford them, some students could not. And so
when we did our tour, which was only a couple of weeks ago . . . so, you know we are almost halfway
through the semester, we have students just sitting
around saying they are participating but they cannot
fully participate. And you have other students who are getting in. So they see that they are getting the fun stuff done.
So if we are going to have programmes like
this where we are sending high school kids to college,
there are other types of responsibilities that they have
to bear that perhaps we can put some more oomph into it and help them out. So I am hoping that $100K is something that can be utilised for that, because it is not just kits. It is the bo oks and such. And when you
are in high school that is not something you really ex-pect to have to foot. And parents are not expecting to
say, Hey, you are going up here, but . . . we have all
been to college. All of us have known someone or been to college ourselves and know sometimes the
book bill at the beginning of a semester is absolutely
crazy compared to everything else.
But overall, I just want to say I am very encouraged by the programme and I would like to see it
grow. And with that, Madam Chairman, I really do not
have much more to say, except for just looking at both budgets for the Ministry of Education, which is located
on page B-115 and the budget for the Department of
Education, page B-121, I do see that there has been
an overspend in both budgets of last year. So I am
sure we will be looking forward to some supplemen-tals coming along and we can figure out what those
overruns were for. Again, when we talk about our
schools we constantly hear they are missing this, they are missing that. And we are talking about basic things that teachers need so they can be effective in their course. So if we are overspending our budget, and we are still talking about we need more money for
pens and pencils, then we really need to sit back and
have a really good look at what we are doing and
have some proper protocols and such in place.
With that, Madam Chairman, thank you for allowing me these comments.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.


Bermuda House of A ssembly As the Minister is not in the Chamber, I
thought I would use this opportunity to just comment
on a couple of things. I know he is coming back.
First of all, I want to give my congratulations
to the new Commissioner of Education who has been in this role for the past couple of years doing a good job.

[Desk thumping]

So I think what we will see is a
continuation of the work that is being done and, con-trary to some of the comments made by the Member
who just sat down, we have not been, or the Ministry
has not been without effective leadership. And I want that to be very clear for the record of this House. I am very pleased . . . and yes, his PS. They are both doing
a phenomenal job there.
As a former Minister, I am very pleased to see
that the education budget has been increased, al though marginally. It has been increased nonetheless, which, again, in these times it is important to continue to invest in education. I want to just clarify a couple of things. And I believe that the Member who just sat
down made a comment it is not just about the money
in connecting the overall budget to what we are doing. I have said before on the floor of this House that the amount of monies spent on education does not have a direct correlation to the result that you get , and we
have to budget adequately. I believe this Government
has budgeted adequately to this Ministry and it is not
just about spending more money, it is about doing things in an effective, organised manner. And that is
what the leadership of the Ministry under the Perm anent Secretary, Valerie Robinson- James, and our
Commissioner of Education, Dr. Evans, have been
doing.
So, again, congratulations to them.
If you look at the type of work that has been
carried out over the last few years at the Bermuda
College, I would just also like to give Dr. Greene my heartfelt thanks for the type of work that has been
done at the Bermuda College. We have been doing what needs to be done for our children.
I want to make it clear, because I know the
Member who just sat down has been notified of this, but just in case he forgot, with regard to some of the
issues he mentioned specifically, the fire alarm at Elliot, the Ministry addresses everything in a timely manner. When it comes to a large spend, in keeping with financial instructions, you actually have to go and get quotes to do work. And if there was any delay, that
was it. Once we are notified of things, because, of
course, there are some times that, unfortunately, the
Ministry is only notified of things from the newspaper,
because you have Members who happen to be a part of the PTA who will not bring things to the Ministry’s
attention, but will go to Royal Gazette.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Clearly, that Member has a guilty conscience, but I
digress.
I want to actually make it very clear, as I
pointed out before that the Member mentioned the maintenance for the schools and how we are not maintaining them adequately. Let me say for the record and for the edification of this House again, we
have been down this road before, the maintenance for
the Ministry of Education school buildings is in the Works and Engineering budget. And we have again, if memory serves me correctly, increased that number again this year, recognising the work that needs to be done, as was identified in t he school report that this
Government had done. And we are getting it done. We are getting the work done. Had we not [been] lax
in maintenance over the last decade or so we would not be here. So, we all need to take responsibility for that.
As I have sai d many times before, let us focus
on the children. Take the politics out of education. It is about our children. It is about our children. It is about our children. With regard to scholarships, the minimum that scholarships has ever been under my ten-ure as Minister is above $1.7 million. The Member
continues to talk about only $40,000 being made available —

Madam Chairman, once
again the Member is misleading, the former Minister is misleading the House. I spoke about the further ed ucation awards. They are quite separate from the
scholarship. The further education awards did drop, if you want to look in the Budget Book. They dropped from 760 to 340 to 40K, and that is proven.

948 8 March 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: Thank you, Member.
The Chair recognises the Member from constituency —