No West End Primary School No PLP Vote says West End Warriors

All of Bermuda is well aware that the West End Warriors (WEW’s) have fought a determined battle for well over two(2) years now, to change the Government’s mind with respect to the West End Primary School(WEP)  being chosen as the Parish School featuring in the Government’s Educational Reform Initiative.

Bermuda too, will be aware that in a Town Hall meeting hosted by the WEW’s at the WEP site on July 11, 2023, the Premier and Minister Rabain promised that a History and legacy component would be added to the rescored 19 study factors used to compare which Primary Schools would remain open and which ones would be closed.

On Friday, March 22, 2024, at 10.47am the Principal of the WEP school was advised by a government official that the ‘History and legacy Committee would meet with the ‘School officials’ on March 27, 2024, at 1.00pm to deal with this issue via Zoom virtual communication for 55 minutes.

On March 14, 2024 Bermuda was electrified by the comment the Minister of Education shared with  Gary Foster Skelton of the BBC that a decision to close certain Primary Schools will be made before the end of the month, that is, a grand maximum of 4 days after he has met with WEP school officials and included the ‘History and Legacy’ component to the final scoring system. By any stretch of the imagination, how is that taking the ‘History and Legacy’ component seriously enough, when that component alone may well determine whether WEP school stays open or will be forced to close ?

It is important to note that as the WEW’s twist and turn in search of solutions to this dilemma; two MP’s in particular, the Minister of Health and the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs,  give zero support to the ’cause’. Indeed, the Health Minister said that she could not support the WEW’s in their efforts because she would have to give up her Cabinet Post and she is not prepared to do that for the cause of keeping WEP open. The Attorney General was more scathing. She said in her maiden speech on the House Floor that the “West End Warriors and their supporters were a bunch of whiners who need to find something to protest about.”

The WEW’s have found something to protest about and will join with the West End School PTA at 8.00am on Monday, March 25, 2024 outside of St. James Church against the closure of the WEP. We invite, but do not expect that Ministers Wilson and Simmons will join us. They never have and never will, thus putting self-interest before those who voted them into power-last general election. There will be fewer of those voters next general election we are certain as some of those voters are WEW’s and members of the WEP PTA. The only meeting, out of the many meetings the WEW’s have held in Somerset that these two Ministers have with muted voices attended is the AG at Somerset Cricket Club field and both Ministers, again with muted voices, the Town Hall meeting mentioned earlier when the Premier and Minister Rabain presented on the issues.

It is against this backdrop of disrespect, arrogance, and obstinacy of this PLP Government, that the WEW’s made the decision to openly protest outside the school for several mornings per week. The picture of our brave Warrior Larry Hunt, and of other Warriors on other days last week, personify what the WEW’s think should happen with your vote especially for the Ministers named in this public release, when the next general election comes around.  A picture tells a thousand words. Think what 100’s of pictures will say to this government , and do, in Sandys Parish’s next election. 

Join us in the protest along with the PTA of the WEP on Monday, March 25, 2024, and generally to SAVE WEST END PRIMARY SCHOOL from being closed on or before Sunday, March 31, 2024!

Your children and great, great grandchildren, and beyond,  will thank you for your support today!