1/21/2011 4:50:00 PM New initiative set to transform public schools
Education Minister Jennifer Smith, right, announced a new initiative today to transform schools. Education Commissioner Wendy McDonnell, left, will lead the project. *File photo
FRIDAY, JAN. 21: The Ministry of Education will be focusing on a new teaching and learning initiative to transform public schools.
Education Minister Jennifer Smith said that after re-reading the Hopkins Report and the Blueprint for reform and meeting with various stakeholders, she decided to go with “teaching and learning”. She met with the Board of Education, the Association of School Principals and the Bermuda Union of Teachers.
Education Commissioner Wendy McDonnell will assume responsibility for Teaching and Learning. She will also continue her current role as commissioner.
A press statement said: “Mrs. McDonnell has been given this responsibility because of her extensive and successful background in championing educational reform in Canada prior to returning to her home country, Bermuda, and assuming the post of Commissioner.”
Permanent Secretary of Education Warren Jones will take on responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Department of Education in the dual position of Permanent Secretary and Acting Commissioner of Education with responsibility for Operations.
Posted: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Comment by:
Thinker .
It is clear that these women are taking charge. That is so sad. They are clueless. Not because they are women. Rather it is because they are not prepared to lead. We need a balance in this education process. We need an educator to lead. Jennifer Smith is a great person in the eyes of many. HOwever is she an educated person with breadth and depth of the issues around education. IF not how does she come up with these grand ideas. THe truth is that these bermudian children are not raised well. They are over pampered and not challenged. We are kidding our selves. THere is a competitive world out there. No amount of motherly cuddling will prepare them to fight. THe shores are replete with foreign ships bringing labor here to take the food out of our mouths. YEt we are not prepared to compete. Get down to real education reform which starts with punishment to failing parents. GEtting real leadership in education. Simply showing up with grand plans and a legacy of being a previous premier is not enough.
Posted: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Comment by:
Arthur Douglas
Dear Jennifer. If you bring the Harvard University Professors here to teach these children they will still fail.The problem is the family values. If we dont have a strong family policy, education will utterly fail. we are wasting time and money by shifting personel we need to get to the root.
Posted: Monday, January 24, 2011
Comment by:
To Fed Up
This is just rearranging the contects. May God help our kids cause the Ministry of Education won't.
Posted: Sunday, January 23, 2011
Comment by:
Fed Up Bermudian
So...is this a demotion then for Mrs. McDonnell? It's hard to tell with all the side stepping. What the public deserves to know is did she do her job well or not? Because otherwise it looks like the typical shuffle of the incompetence happened again. Instead of cleaning house, we're just rearranging its contents. I think the public deserves a bit more information here, otherwise the perception which is also helping drag down the education system is that nothing meaningful is being done. Is this meaningful, or just more subterfuge?
Posted: Saturday, January 22, 2011
Comment by:
Josseline Philip
Put a little bit of love, a great deal of genuine caring and stress the importance of valuable exchanges stress value and respect at ALL LEVELS as priorities and things will go very well. Yesterday evening , at the end of my class at the University of Versailles, a student I taught for the first time ( 21-year old) came to me and congratulated me " He said , this was a wonderful experience, your class was truly interactive and interesting". I really appreciated him taking the time to come and say that to me. I can't wait for next week and it is a challenge to me to keep the class the way they like it. I think each child, each student should feel the same at the end of each class. Josseline
Posted: Friday, January 21, 2011
Comment by:
New Rule
Stop this facade of the Ministry of Education actually doing anything. The MoE manages day-care centers for teenagers...and now that disastrous policy is coming home to roost. Sorry Jennifer...it's just too late. The MoE is Bermuda's home-grown apartheid.
