Lack of substitute teachers, outdated contracts, and safety concerns…the B.U.T. said these and other issues are unaddressed by the Ministry of Education even after filing their grievances.
Dante Cooper, the Bermuda Union of Teachers General Secretary in a letter today sounding the alarm over a shortage of substitute teachers within the public school system.
They said the issue of adequate staffing, safety and contracts has been raised several times to the ministry in recent months.
Last week, a majority of teachers at the Cedarbridge Academy called in sick, closing the school for a day. They have further described similar urgent staffing and safety concerns requiring immediate attention at the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, Dalton E. Tucker Primary, and Harrington Sound Primary.
“Recent actions have exposed the Department of Education’s failure to properly prepare for teacher absences by keeping a robust, or even adequate, substitute Teacher list. This is an ongoing concern and this Union has articulated this concern several times in recent months. Blaming Teachers for
a systemic failure is untenable, and we will not let it stand,” said Mr. Cooper.
He added, “Furthermore, issues of safety, scheduling, contracts, staffing, and air-quality continue to plague schools, and school staffs, throughout Bermuda, and, for us, enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, Dwight Jackson, the Independent Candidate in C9, Smith’s West, described the education system as “dysfunctional” following last week’s action by teachers.
The educator argues that millions of dollars funneled into an overseas consultancy firm assisting the Ministry with the reform is unjustified, considering day-to-day needs of the schools are not being met.
Diallo Rabain, the Education Minister recently pledged an additional $370,000 for services at the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy.
“We need an additional adaptive physical education teacher. Our caseloads are exploding and the minister said that he was providing [support]..he mentioned speech, he mentioned occupational therapy, he mentioned physical therapy. But those remits come under health.”
BBC has contacted the Ministry of Education for a response.
