The decision was taken following a demonstration organised by the St. George’s Preparatory School PTA last Friday at Veritas Place after disagreeing with the government to discontinue P1 enrolment at two primary schools in preparation to transition to new parish schools under education reform.

Minister of Education, Diallo Rabain, has announced a decision to reopen P1 enrolment for the academic year 2025/2026 at Somerset Primary School and St. George’s Preparatory School.
This follows meetings with the PTA Executive of St. George’s Prep and a subsequent meeting with the PTA Executive and Principal of Somerset Primary School.
During these discussions, the Minister heard the communities’ desire to continue P1 enrolment until the schools close.
Open houses will be held at both schools to explain the start of the next academic year in detail.

Minister Rabain stated in a press release, “Both of these PTA executives, after understanding the potential impacts, ultimately chose to continue P1 enrollments, which we consider as the most disruptive option.”

“However, the Ministry appreciates that P1 enrolment is an important and sensitive time for parents, and we remain committed to providing the necessary support to help families navigate this process.”

Parents who have already submitted a P1 application must resubmit an updated one to indicate their interest in St. George’s Prep or Somerset Primary.

The Ministry spokesperson explained that if parents have not submitted a P1 application for St. George’s Prep or Somerset Primary School or previously submitted an application and wish to amend it, they should use this link: https://bit.ly/P1_Somerset_Prep

The deadline to submit applications has been extended by the Department of Education to Friday, December 13, 2024.

They’ve also advised that parents can contact the Department of Education at 278-3307 or registration@moed.bm for additional support.

The award winning US-based campaign will be brought to Bermuda to highlight the struggles victims face in trying to escape their abusers.

A 2023 ‘Hidden Horrors’ campaign will be developed for a Bermuda audience and launched through collaboration with a local activist, Tammy Richardson Augustus and a Kansas-based resource group bringing innovative educational messages to the island.

The original ad was jointly developed between Safe in Harm’s Way, Domesticshelters.org and Neon, An IPG Health Company initially depicts a picture-perfect couple but later reveals, not all is as well as it seems.  

Caroline Markel, CEO of Safe in Harm’s Way said victims are often sheltered by perpetrators from media access and controlled, making it difficult for them to seek the resources to escape domestic violence.

It’s equally difficult for members of the community to spot domestic violence if the abuser they appear to act normal outside the home.

“They’re just not inclined to think, well, my neighbor could be doing these horrible things, and what we wanted to do is bring our services nationwide so, that no one had to worry. They were brought to them. So, for example, on buses, on cars, at gas stations, on billboards in Times Square in New York City, all across the country of the United States,” Ms. Markel said.

“We wanted our resources front and center so that they [victims] didn’t have to worry about what to Google so that they didn’t have to worry about hiding from an abuser.”

Tammy Richardson Augustus, a lawyer and domestic violence awareness advocate said his campaign also underscores the urgency to identify perpetrators – often master manipulators who go to great lengths to mask their behavior.  

Ms. Richardson Augustus has extended a number of international domestic abuse education and awareness campaigns to Bermuda.

She said, “What victims have told me repeatedly is that the two most dangerous places for them is their home and the family court. So for me, this campaign is really powerful because hopefully emotively it will show to so many people that abusers are master manipulators.”

“And it’s important for people in the frontline who are making critical decisions around women’s safety to have embedded education,” she added.

Around 90% of the time children will witness abuse within the home while pets will suffer from violence in equal measure by abusers, according to US statistics.  

Ms. Markel said, “A person is more likely to get struck by lightning than to have a survivor lie to them about what’s going on at home. So we need people, frontline responders, especially in small places and countries like Bermuda… If someone comes to you and says I am experiencing violence, you start by believing them and you take the appropriate actions to find the solutions, which is why we took that Hidden Monster campaign.”

The campaign was launched on November 25th to coincide with the United Nations International Elimination of Violence Against Women.

For more information and access to resources, go online to www.hiddenhorrors.bm.

The new amendment, a Throne Speech initiative, means taxi operators will now pay $600 instead of $1,000 per annum per vehicle.

In the Upper House today, Senators discussed the “Payroll Tax Amendment No.2 Act 2024” which includes a new tiered system for minibus operators.

It is based on seating capacity which was amended receiving support from Independent Senator John White and Opposition Senators Robin Tucker and Dwayne Robinson.

Government Senator Arianna Hodgson, the spokesperson for Finance, said the new structure is designed to streamline payments for improved efficiency.

Senator Hodgson explaining the new tiered payroll system for minibus drivers said, ” Minibuses with a seating capacity of up to 15 passengers will incur an annual payroll tax of $750.”

“Tier-2 minbuses with a seating capacity between 16-24 passengers will incur an annual payroll tax of $1,000. And finally, in tier 3, minibuses with a seating capacity of more than 24 passengers will incur an annual payroll tax of $1,500.”

Senator Hodgson added that this change represents a simplified payroll tax system as a step forward in improving efficiency within the public service vehicle sector.

However, Vice President of the Senate Kiernan Bell argued that taxi operators will now pay a capped fee and will essentially be treated differently to other self-employed workers citing contractors, and cleaners.

She suggested the tax system should be equitable based on revenue generation not on the nature of the work itself.