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Ministry Of Education, We Want To Know…!

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Submitted by BU Family Member

A notice appearing in the Nation of Sunday 13 July 2008, page 13 from the Ministry of Education states:

Minister Jones

The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development has stated that the summer school for secondary school students, scheduled to take place from July 14 to August 8 at six of the island’s secondary schools has been cancelled. The summer school was initially scheduled to take place at Alexandra, Grantley Adams Memorial, Ellerslie Secondary, St. James Secondary, Harrison College, and Princess Margaret Secondary. The Ministry has apologised for any inconvenience caused.

1. I and other parents paid the fees for these summer school classes more than a month ago and our cheques have long since been cashed. Is it too much trouble for the Ministry to tell us when and where we can get a refund?

2. Is it too much trouble for the Ministry to explain to the taxpaying parents why the classes have been cancelled?

3. Is the Ministry so badly organized that they were only able to give 24 hours notice of the cancellation?

4. Does the Ministry care that parents and children would have forgone other summer opportunities and now we are left up the creek without a paddle?

5. Does the Ministry care that other summer opportunities have already been filled up?

6. Does the Ministry care that parents applied for summer vacations with summer school dates in mind and that now the parents cannot get other time off and go AWOL or we may lose our jobs?

7. Does the Ministry not understand that the tax paying, fee paying parents deserve some explanation?

8. Does the Ministry understand that we the people pay the taxes which pay their wages and that we the people are mad as hell?

9. How can the Ministry expect us to teach our children respect for teachers and Ministry officials when Ministry officials clearly have no respect for the tax paying parents or their children?

10. When can we parents and children expect reasonable answers from the Ministry?

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10 responses to “Ministry Of Education, We Want To Know…!”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Of course this cancellation comes against the background of the government’s indication in the recent budget that community summer camps will be sponsored by government going forward.

    In the absence of an explanation we are left to speculate as to what derailed the proposed summer camp. Obviously some parents would have been put off by it.

  2. J Avatar
    J

    It was not a proposed camp. Money has already been paid and receipts issued. Therefore legally the Ministry was CONTRACTED to deliver. This is a breach of a legal contract.

    It is already to talk about the government sponsoring camps going forward.

    But what about this year’s children?

    And has anybody in government that this year’s 15 and 16 year summer school children will VOTE in the next election.

    Timetables were issued as late as Thursday at 3 p.m.

  3. The scout Avatar
    The scout

    I hope the minister does not perform his duties or treat this hallowed institution the same way he treats the BFA. Is he finding it difficult, the opperunity to “walk a mile in the ministry’s shoes.”?

  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I may be misinformed but the summer school was for children that did poorly in their promotion exams. It was not a summer “camp” and I don’t think there was a cost to participants in fact schools had to submit the names of the students who were likely to benfit.

  5. politically incorrect Avatar
    politically incorrect

    Very interesting.

    Drakes’ Christian School initiated Summer School in Barbados.

    Two years after the Government stepped in and offered Summer School.

    Drakes’ Christian School was unceremoniously forced out of the market, say what you will ………..Government Summer School done.

    Food for thought.

  6. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    It is most interesting to note that the regular BU commenters have not seen fit to harp on this failure of The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development to deliver.

    It is reprehensible to think that having scheduled summer school for secondary school students to take place from July 14 to August 8 , and having received fees from parents as long as a month ago that the ministry could cancel this event at the last moment with out any consideration for parents or the children.

    It is not enough to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
    It is not enough to just apologise explain to the taxpaying parents why the classes have been cancelled.

    Since the classes were scheduled they should have been delivered unless there was a hurricane or similar disaster.

    It is very obvious that the Ministry is so badly organized that they were only able to give 24 hours notice of the cancellation. Clearly all is not well at the Mnistry of Education , just as there is no one at home in Health. Then we blame the children! It seems that Barbados has gone to the dogs!

  7. David Avatar
    David

    Has any member of the BU family heard of any official explanation on this matter?

  8. The scout Avatar
    The scout

    Minister Jones is trying to wear too many hats and is doing a bad job at all. I think he should concentrate on his ministry and give up the BFA. The Digicel tournament is coming up and he has done nothing to date to prepare the players. Same thing for world cup. He seems to be a jack of all trades and master of none but I know better. Recently he has been all bark and no bite. Is it that he as biten off more than he can chew? Then nibble at piece at a time, choose the ministry.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    It has been brought to the attention of BU that many, if not all of the Primary Schools in Barbados, operate using an adhoc system regarding the text books listed to teach the several courses. We were dumbstruck to learn that the type of text book selected is often done at the recommendation of the year head. The consequence of the current system is that many of our Primary Schools have different book lists.

    Please tell that our source is wrong!

  10. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    You would think that the principals and ministry would come to a consensus and have a national sylabus and national book list.

    This would surely facilitate the movement of both teachers and students alike, if and when the need arises.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

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