Education Reform Update

Mr. Speaker,

Today, I rise to provide this House and the listening public with a critical update on our education reform efforts, focusing on three key areas:

• The plan to transition from a 3-tier to a 2-tier system
• The continuing work around the development of our Parish Primary Schools.
• An agreement to continue the partnership with the Innovation Unit

Before diving into the details, let’s pause to remind ourselves why these changes are not just necessary but imperative for the future of our education.

Mr. Speaker,

I ask those listening to reflect on this: Twenty-four years ago, when the process of reforming our system to the middle school system started, the Bermuda Public School System had nearly 7,800 students across 35 buildings. Today, we face a different reality – approximately 4,000 students, yet 36 buildings. Despite declining public school enrolments, it's crucial to note that public schools continue to educate more students than private institutions. Factors such as declining birth rates and emigration contribute to this trend. But what does this mean for us? It clearly indicates that we must re-evaluate and optimise our resources for maximum efficiency and equity.

Mr. Speaker,

Currently, the number of students in our primary schools stands as follows:

• St. David's Primary - 55 Students
• East End Primary - 55 Students
• St. George's Prep - 91 Students
• Francis Patton Primary - 148
• Harrington Sound Primary - 152
• Elliot Primary - 107
• Prospect Primary - 87
• Victor Scott Primary - 103
• Northlands Primary - 129

• West Pembroke Primary - 192
• Gilbert Institute - 64
• Paget Primary - 114
• Purvis Primary - 214
• Port Royal Primary - 86
• Dalton E. Tucker Primary -119
• West End Primary - 75
• Somerset Primary - 97

Consider our current primary school landscape: 1,888 students are spread across our 17 Primary Schools, each with unique strengths and challenges. For instance, St. David's Primary has 55 students, while Purvis Primary leads with 214. These numbers aren't just statistics – they're a stark reminder of the need for a strategic approach to how we operate our schools. The numbers are a reality check that we need to put measures in place that allow us to be more efficient and equitable in how we use our funding to give our students the best chance of success.

Mr. Speaker,

The plan to have one primary school per parish, except Pembroke, is not just a change for change's sake. It is a transformation model rooted in modern-day educational practices. The recognition that in order for us to provide the services needed for today's education delivery, we cannot continue to expect to support so many school sites with so few students. Imagine the impact of having dedicated specialists at each school rather than stretching resources thinly across multiple sites. The evidence is clear: efficiency leads to better educational outcomes.

Mr. Speaker,

A glimpse into the past provides insight for the future. At Clearwater Middle School before its closure, it was revealed that 13 of the 19 staff members had a workload of less than 60% of a typical full workload of 20 teaching periods per week. In contrast, the educators formally at Clearwater Middle School and Heron Bay Primary are now filling gaps that existed at other schools. Despite this influx, the Department of Education can still report that we are short of resources in some areas. This underscores the urgency and necessity of our reforms.

Mr. Speaker,

We are at a crossroads. The difficult but necessary decisions to comprehensively reform our school system will shape our educational landscape for decades. We recognise the deep concern and emotional investment of our various School communities in the future of their schools. The decision to consider the closure of any school is a decision fraught with emotion and complexity, and we will approach this with the utmost care and respect for all involved. Our guiding principle remains steadfast in that every student deserves the best educational environment possible.

Mr. Speaker,

As previously announced in July, a comprehensive rescoring process was initiated for parishes with multiple primary school sites except for Devonshire. This process uniquely includes a 'History and Legacy' component, reflecting our dedication to respecting and understanding the rich histories of our schools. Each school was invited to contribute to this process by nominating three representatives for discussions with the History and Legacy Working Group. We are awaiting this final data to make the final decisions on the school sites that will remain in the BPSS. The revisions to the 3-tier to 2-tier plan introduced for feedback in April are currently on hold pending the finalisation of this process.

Mr. Speaker,

This brings me to the main focus of today's statement. As previously mentioned, the plan is to create a Parish Primary School in each Parish, complete with a pre-school on site, with two in Pembroke, which is taking shape. We have introduced Parish Primary Schools in Hamilton Parish at the Francis Patton Site and Warwick Parish at the Purvis Primary Site. The next two Parish Primary Schools will be in Smith's Parish at the Harrington Sound Primary School Site and Devonshire Parish at the Elliot Primary School Site. The next Signature school at Sandys for the Tourism and Hospitality along with Education Services Signatures, will open. The scheduled opening of these schools is scheduled for September 2025.

Mr. Speaker,

Feedback is the cornerstone of progress. Some may remember that 40 meetings occurred with schools and school communities in April this year about the proposed plan to transition public education from a 3-tier to a 2-tier system. Many will remember these meetings were attended by passionate stakeholders with much feedback about the proposed plan. Since then, additional meetings have been held with the school communities most affected by the changes. A representative group of principals have been meeting to develop the next version of the plan. While this is not finalised, as a result of the re-scoring process, there are important updates I wish to provide to honourable colleagues and the listening public.

Mr. Speaker,

I can also confirm items that are changes to the plan presented in April in response to the constructive feedback provided by our key stakeholders. These changes are:

The planned transition of students from East End, St. George's Prep and St. David's Primary Schools to the Whitney Institute Middle School campus will not proceed. Discussions are underway to determine options to present to the parents of St. George's Parish and the staff of the three schools in this parish. However, students finishing P6 at these schools will still transition into Middle School M1 until that process is complete.

Whitney Institute Middle School is now projected to close in June 2025 as part of the phased approach, coinciding with the opening of Elliott and Harrington Sound as Parish Primary schools in September 2025. The finalisation of the 3-tier to 2-tier plan may impact this projection.

In September 2025, all Senior Schools will start their 5-year programs. This means that students in M2 and M3 will transition to Signature Senior Schools at this point. Until the complete phasing out of the remaining Middles Schools, students will only do M1 and M2 before transitioning to a Signature Senior School.

Another change to announce is that CedarBridge Academy and The Berkeley Institute will add the additional strands/tracks of Arts & and Culture, and

Sport & and Leisure Management, respectively to their current Signature Learning Programmes for opening for students in September 2025.

Mr. Speaker,

As a result of the ongoing rescoring process, many questions remain, unable to be answered regarding the final 3-tier to 2-tier plan. The timelines for opening new parish primary schools or closing surplus primary schools, phasing out middle schools, and launching new Signature Schools are contingent on this critical process. However, as we navigate these changes, our focus remains on preparing our schools and communities for success.

Mr. Speaker,

Now, let me transition to what is happening to ensure schools and school communities are adequately prepared to make the most of these learning environments to improve student outcomes. Let me specifically focus on the recruitment of Teams for the next phase of School Transformation and the progress made in that regard.

Mr. Speaker,

When we last met in this place, I reminded colleagues about the underway recruitment process. As we navigate these changes, our focus remains on preparing our schools and communities for success. I'm thrilled to announce over 60 enthusiastic participants in our School Transformation Teams for the seven schools in transition: The Berkeley Institute, Cedarbridge Academy, Sandys Secondary Middle School, Francis Patton Parish Primary, Elliot Parish Primary, Purvis Parish Primary and Harrington Sound Parish Primary/. This is a testament to our collaborative, co-design approach, which is more than reform; it's a community- driven revolution in education.

Mr. Speaker,

This means we will have over 100 teachers, leaders, parents, community and industry members involved in the school transformation process over the next 18 months as we continue with our existing schools in transition and bring on board our new schools for opening in September 2025. I cannot underscore how positive this is for the co-design approach we have adopted for our system as we move forward. This is a major step forward for us as we move to being a country where education is everyone's business.

Mr. Speaker,

Let me move to the final update of my statement: our ongoing partnership with Innovation Unit. Earlier this week, Cabinet approved the contract renewal with our change partners. I want to reiterate that this partnership, a collaborative venture, is integral to our reform efforts. One is where our change partners work with local teams that hold posts in our Education Reform Unit, Working Groups, and School Transformation Teams.

Mr. Speaker,

Let me conclude by reiterating that the philosophy adapted from the beginning of this process is one of the absolute necessities to have this process driven from the front by Bermudians and for Bermudians. Our team has plenty of room for anyone who wishes to join and contribute. We cannot be more open about needing education to be every Bermudian's business.