Members
Parliament
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Ben Smith, MP

Ben Smith, MP

738
Speeches
138,286
Words Spoken
67
Sittings Active
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
202 words
Is the Minister able to give us any data that they have been able to collect when it comes to long-term absenteeism for teachers, whether there are teachers who have been missing for . . . We do know that there are some teachers who have been out on unpaid leave or paid leave due to suspensions. Is that number …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
27 words
So, Mr. Chairman, the issue would have been that we had to increase that number signifi-cantly in order to pay for a large number of substitute teachers.
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
4 words
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
4 words
One second, Mr. Chairman.
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
85 words
Mr. Chairman, business unit 27062, Success Academy. The Minister gave quite a bit of detail on what was being provided from Success Academy. But the budget number is only $8,000. So I am just wondering, is funding coming from somewhere else in order to ac hieve all of those things? If the Minister can just explain how . . . …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
12 words
It covers all of it. Mr. Chairman, business unit 27063 [School Psychology].
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
137 words
So, Mr. Chairman, considering that the Minister stated that there had been quite a bit of need for these services, I am just wondering if the Minister can explain to us why we would have a slight reduction as opposed to . . . The importance of this, I would have thought maybe we would have seen an increase in …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
10 words
So, Mr. Chairman, business units 27065 Hearing, and 27066 Vision.
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
60 words
The Minister gave us some details on both of these. Can the Minister just let the listening audience know, Is this performed in multiple schools? Or are they going to a specific school? Just so that we un-derstand, you know, are these individuals going to support multiple places? Or are students going to one specific school? The Chairman: Mm-hmm. [Pause]
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
5 words
Cost centre 27074, Learning Support.
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
110 words
The Minister stated that there seemed to be the need for more learning support. I believe he said that by looking at the numbers that they are getting from preschool. Can the Minister give us . . . is it a percentage? Can he give us some kind of idea of w hat that increased need is? Just so that …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
232 words
Cost centre 27079, Paraprofessionals. This is a significant support system within education presently. Could the Minister just give us some details on whether there will be a shift in the need for paraprofessionals as we move forward? The reason I ask that question is because, if not, as we move forward in the reform, if there is going to be …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
20 words
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am on page B -137, now moving to programme 1703, Finance and Corporate.
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
313 words
Business unit 27041, School Transport. The Minister spoke to some of the costs that are being incurred in order for this Transport number. Can the Minister let us know whether there had been any thoughts of also using transportation in order for the Bermu da School Sports Federation in order to get transportation to certain events, whether there had been …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
68 words
Which is going to cover programmes 1704, Preschools; 1705, Primary Schools; 1707, Middle Schools; and 1708, Senior Secondary Schools. So, on these pages we are given the overall costs for each of these facilities. And the Minister stated that . . . I believe he said 94 per cent of the costs for the schools is actually salaries and 6 …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
25 words
So the Minister has just stated that this was only for preschools. Could he let us know what that breakdown is in the other categories?
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
399 words
Yes, the 94 per cent was only preschools. So I am asking the Minister if he can give us what that percentage is for the other levels of school. And considering that one of the factors that we are looking at when it comes to closing schools is going to be the number of students who are in those schools, …
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
8 words
Could the Minister let us know whether —
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
32 words
I am sorry. I was looking under Salaries, and I was just going to speak to . . . That is why I was on page B -140. I was going to—
8 Mar 2024 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
122 words
That covers the employment of the teachers. So the question to the Minister is, Can the Minister let us know whether there are any teachers and/or principals who are holding the acting position? And if they are holding the acting position, is there a difference in the salary they receive under acting as opposed to having the full -time job? …