Putting Our Children and Their Future First

The Progressive Labour Party will put Bermudians first by ensuring that public education is our top priority. The continued reduction of investment in education under the OBA is a sad reflection of their lack of priorities where our Bermudian children are concerned. Your next PLP Government will give public education the priority it deserves, so that it becomes the first choice for all Bermudåians. We will ensure that our education system is modern, accountable, and prepares Bermudians for success in a rapidly changing world. We will restore confidence in the public education system and ensure that Bermuda College is accessible to all.

IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION

Bermuda’s public school system has suffered from a lack of accountability over the years. Regardless of the many reports on education, there appears to be a lack of accountability to ensure that recommendations are carried out and student outcomes are improved.

Your next PLP Government will:

Ensure that all levels of the public education system - teachers, principals, school boards, the Ministry of Education, and the government - will be held accountable and responsible for maximising students’ opportunities to learn. Internal and external accountability measures will be developed for all levels of the education system, tailored in each case to match the responsibilities of that level of the system.

Minimise political interference in the educational system by empowering educational professionals to assume a higher level of accountability and responsibility for learning outcomes.

SHORT-TERM EDUCATION OBJECTIVES

• Conduct a review of all school facilities to identify and correct any health and safety issues.
• Commence the installation of Wi-Fi in all public schools and ensure that all schools have functioning computer labs so our students have access to the latest technology.
• Ensure the necessary services, personnel, resources and supplies are provided to all schools to allow them to deliver the curriculum effectively.
• Increase funding for scholarships so that students in public schools have more opportunities to secure higher education, and implement a low interest rate student loan programme to improve higher education access and reduce costs to students.
• Increase accessibility to Bermuda College by providing financial support to students in need and providing childcare services to working parents who wish to upgrade their skills via continuing education. Finances and family should not be a barrier to tertiary education.
• Ensure training and professional development for teachers to improve learning outcomes for students.

MID-TERM EDUCATION OBJECTIVES

• Review and implement the recommendations from the ongoing Department of Education’s Strategic Review with realistic and achievable yearly milestones to ensure the public school system remains nimble and modern with real-time data to measure performance of the system.
• Align the Department of Workforce Development, the Community Education and Development Programme, and Libraries and Archives with the Ministry of Education to ensure life-long learning and accessibility to education.
• Provide exposure to STEAM education at the primary school level.
• Ensure parents have access to the technology resources necessary to assist in their children’s schooling.
• Ensure that there is sufficient psychological support for students, to identify and address learning or behavioural difficulties at the earliest opportunity.

LONG-TERM EDUCATION OBJECTIVES

• Reform public education by phasing out middle schools and introducing signature schools at the secondary level, which focus on the learning styles and interests of our children, including academic, technical and the trades, business, sports, arts, and special needs education.
• Remove geographic restrictions to encourage students from different parts of the island to attend the best school suited to their talents, regardless of the location of their registered living address.
• Review the feasibility of learning environments and educational programmes to meet the needs of children in special education in a more cost-effective way.
• Establish standards of early educational achievement, so that our children can have early access to the basic skills required prior to entering primary school. The PLP understands that educational standards in early childhood programmes allow for a student to meet greater success in the educational environment.