Teachers’ Union on staffing, management and more

“It is time for the Department to prioritize the well-being of our teachers and the quality of education for our students,” the Bermuda Teachers Union said, adding that “our children deserve a classroom that is staffed, safe and ready to learn.”

Below are the Union’s comments CedarBridge Academy has closed a day earlier this week “due to an unusually high number of teacher and paraeducator absences,” with 59 of 77 CedarBridge employees reporting their absence.

In the series posts on X/Twitter, The union said: “Schools in Bermuda face significant operational challenges that directly impact the education of our children. These are not isolated cases; mismanagement is common and it’s time to shed light on it.

“Department of Education reports misrepresent actual conditions. Ignoring or downplaying problems such as replacement insurance, contract instability and lack of resources will not make them go away; this makes them worse.

“Why is it almost November and there are still no full-time teachers in Bermuda’s classrooms? Teachers work without contracts or remuneration. We need urgent solutions from the Department of Energy to ensure that students have a permanent, qualified teaching staff.

“Mold and other health and safety issues continue to exist in our schools. Our children and teachers deserve clean and safe spaces for teaching and learning. These dangers have no place in Bermuda’s classrooms.

“Why is it so difficult to take consistent action instead of quick fixes? It’s time to prioritize people, not politics.

“Let us be clear: when the Minister closes a school, it is because of poor management of the Department. To prevent this, we should have enough substitute teachers. There are a sufficient number of teachers on the island, but candidates are often told that the “sublist is full” or that they have been given a bypass.

“Let’s imagine that we are advised not to take sick leave due to administrative pressure. Some teachers come to school with their students in poor health, often without lunch or bathroom breaks, all due to a lack of substitutes.

“These staffing problems result from decisions made without proper consultation with the EU. It is time for the Department to prioritize the well-being of our teachers and the quality of education for our students.

“Policies that disenfranchise teachers and students only deepen the cracks in our system. Our children deserve a classroom that is staffed, safe and ready to learn.”

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