Statement by Opposition Leader Ben Smith, Shadow Minister for Education & Sport:
In a recent media interview, Minister of Education, Diallo Rabain acknowledged that the PLP Government needs to rebuild the trust of parents and teachers.
I appreciate his sentiment because trust is essential if education reform is going to succeed.
The Minister also acknowledged that senior schools were not ready when they needed to be, that infrastructure commitments were not delivered and that uncertainty influenced the choices many families made. Those are important admissions because they reflect what parents and teachers have been saying for some time.
Parents make decisions about their children’s future based on the information they are given. Teachers dedicate themselves to helping students succeed, often while adapting to changing policies and expectations. Both deserve clarity, consistency and confidence in the direction of our public education system.
But over the past several years, that confidence has been tested.
Rebuilding confidence will take more than announcing a return to the original reform plan.
Parents deserve to see realistic timelines that are actually met. Teachers will want to know that they are being listened to before decisions are made, not after they have already been announced.
School communities will want regular updates so they understand what is happening, why it is happening and when they can expect to see progress.
Trust grows when people know where things stand, even when the news is difficult. It is strengthened when governments communicate openly, keep their commitments and admit when something has not gone according to plan.
I believe everyone involved in education shares the same goal. We want children to receive the best education possible.
We want public schools where students can thrive, teachers feel supported and parents can believe in.
The One Bermuda Alliance will support any step that genuinely moves us closer to that goal.
We will also continue to relay questions that parents are asking, because accountability is not an obstacle to reform, but is what gives people confidence that reform is being carried out properly.
The conversation now has to move beyond promises. It has to be about delivery.
If the Government can consistently do what it says it will do, confidence will return. If it cannot, then trust will continue to be difficult to rebuild.
Students educated in the Bermuda Public School System cannot afford another cycle of uncertainty. They deserve steady leadership, honest communication and an education system that delivers on its commitments.
