In the House of Assembly today, Minister of Education, the Hon. Diallo Rabain, JP, MP, highlighted key advancements and pivotal changes in the ongoing education reform initiatives.
Focused on reshaping Bermuda’s education landscape for greater efficiency and effectiveness, the Minister outlined markers of progress as Bermuda moves forward in reforming Bermuda’s public education system.
Minister Rabain opened his remarks by offering a comparison of school enrollment data from previous data to now: “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.”
Minister Rabain continued, “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 plan to have one primary school per parish, except Pembroke, is not just a change for change’s sake. It is a strategic and transformative model rooted in modern-day educational practices.”
In updating the House on the Plan to Transition from a 3 Tier to a 2-Tier System, Minister Rabain emphasised the need for reform by shedding light on the significant decline in public school enrollments due to a decline in birth rates and emigration.
Regarding the rescoring process Minister Rabain stated, “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.”
He was able to confirm the following in response to the constructive feedback provided by key stakeholders in April: 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 and 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 anticipated opening of Elliott and Harrington Sound as Parish Primary schools in September 2025. The finalization of the 3-tier to 2-tier plan may impact this projection.
- In September 2025, all Senior Schools will start their 5-year programs. Students in M2 and M3 will transition to Signature Senior Schools at this point. Until the complete phasing out of the remaining Middle Schools, students will only complete M1 and M2 before transitioning to a Signature Senior School.
- CedarBridge Academy and The Berkeley Institute will introduce the additional strands/tracks of
Arts & Culture, and Sport & Leisure Management, respectively, to their current Signature Learning Programmes with implementation in September 2025.
The Minister confirmed that the contract with the Innovation Unit has been renewed, emphasising that this is a collaborative venture between them and the local Education Reform Unit team that is integral to our reform efforts.
Currently, the ERU team is composed of 14 skilled Bermudians working full-time on school transformation.
This Unit has 17 Workstreams with approximately 60 Bermudians working within them in addition to the School Transformation Teams. The overarching aim is for Bermudians to assume responsibility for the work once the Innovation Unit (IU) has concluded its involvement.
The crux of Minister Rabain’s statement was with regards to the Parish Primary School Project.
Minister Rabain added: “As previously mentioned, the plan is to create a Parish Primary School in each Parish, with two in Pembroke, complete with a pre-school on site, 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 Tourism & Hospitality along with Education Services Signatures, will open. The anticipated opening of these schools is scheduled for September 2025.”
Minister Rabain reiterated that the pedagogical philosophy adapted from the commencement of the school transformation process makes it integral that Bermudians lead this process from the front. “Our team has plenty of room for anyone who wishes to join and contribute,” he further stated. “We cannot be more open about needing education to be every Bermudian’s business.”
Minister Rabain extended an invitation for Bermudians to join in with the school transformation process: “Our journey is one of collective effort and unwavering dedication. We need the involvement of every Bermudian in this transformative process.
“Together, we can reshape our educational landscape for the betterment of all. We need more of Bermuda. Bermuda, We Need You.”
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