Sandys Secondary Middle School has resumed classes after being closed for two consecutive days due to an unscheduled teacher sickout.
The Ministry of Education and the Board of Governors of Sandys Secondary Middle School (SSMS) have engaged directly with the Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) to address the underlying issues that prompted this sickout. The matter was previously escalated to the Ministry of Labour for mediation, and as of yesterday, the matter will proceed to a tribunal.
The Acting Minister of Education, Hon. Crystal Caesar, said, “Yesterday, the principal received notice of teachers opting not to attend work and took the necessary action to close the school for the day. The principal promptly communicated this decision to parents via the Schoology platform, accessible to all. This morning, some teachers have reported to work. To mitigate the lack of teaching staff and ensure learning and instruction are in place, the Department of Education has established a contingency plan to support SSMS with the support of the Department of Education officers and certified teachers. The classes have resumed.”
Minister Caesar added, “The well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are fully committed to rebuilding the trust of our school community. We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of parents and students during this time and will keep all stakeholders informed as new developments arise.”