As it stands today, many of our public schools are understaffed, under-resourced, and overburdened
Statement by Ben Smith, Shadow Minister of Education:
Setting clear expectations for student behaviour is a necessary step in creating safe and respectful school environments, and I support the concept of a framework that promotes accountability, responsibility, and positive relationships in our classrooms.
However, the Progressive Labour Party Government must be honest with the people of Bermuda. This Code will be extremely difficult to implement, enforce, and sustain without significant investment in the support systems that schools need and the accountability that ha been lacking.
At the heart of this Code is a shift toward restorative practices and progressive discipline. These are evidence-based approaches that can be effective, but only when schools are equipped with trained staff, counsellors, behaviour specialists, and time for implementation. As it stands today, many of our public schools are understaffed, under-resourced, and overburdened. Teachers are being asked to act as educators, social workers, and mediators. Often teachers are expected to undertake multiple roles without the training or support necessary.
What’s missing from this rollout is a clear implementation plan, a staffing commitment, and accountability structure. How will schools deliver on the ambitions of this policy without the tools to do so?This Government has a pattern of announcing reform without delivering the support needed for real change.
In order to successfully implement the code, trained professionals are required in every school, along with consistent monitoring, and targeted support for students with the greatest needs.
As Shadow Minister for Education, I will be reviewing the full document in detail and encourage teachers, parents and students to forward their feedback on these changes. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me at bsmith@oba.bm.
I will also be pressing the Government to provide answers to key questions such as:
- How many new counsellors or behaviour support staff are being hired to support this Code?
- Parents are a key stakeholder in this process. What is the support that will be provided to parents to assist them in making the desired changes in their child’s behaviour?
- What training has been delivered to teachers to implement restorative practices?
- What funding is being allocated to support consistent implementation across all public schools and how will this funding be tracked?
- How will success be measured and reported, so the public can hold the Government accountable?
I support the intent behind this policy and commend the educators and stakeholders who contributed to its development. What we need now is a clear implementation strategy, staffing plan, and timeline for accountability. We’ve seen the disruption that can occur when this Government announces reforms without the preparation or infrastructure to support them and education is too important for the PLP Government to get wrong again.
