education

Family and friends are grieving the sudden loss of a guidance counselor killed in a car crash off Queen’s Highway, Eleuthera on Friday.

“I am in complete disbelief and feel completely broken. I don’t know what else to say,” best friend D’Licia Taylor said.

Chara Major, a resident of Tarpum Bay, was killed after 5 pm in Salt Bluff when her grey Nissan Note hit a Casuarina tree. Images circulating social media show extensive damage to the vehicle from which she had to be extricated.

Taylor who was also her makeup artist remembers her infectious smile. “It’s hard to say goodbye. It’s really bad and I’m trying. I have so many questions…How am I supposed to do your brows, which lipstick you want…No more nothing? That smile and that grin…I just don’t know.”

The 27-year-old guidance counselor was recently posted at three primary schools in Eleuthera last year September–Emily G. Petty Primary, Emma Cooper Primary and James Cistern Primary Schools–where teachers said she “truly loved what she did and cherished her students and colleagues.”

Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin expressed her sympathies on social media, describing Major’s death as “tremendous loss to the nation.”

After her tragic death, family members were trying to locate one of her beloved pet dogs named Tavari which she often took with her to makeup appointments. Her aunt Anthea Karagiannis said the dog was apparently removed from an apartment where she lived on the island.

“Tafari is a member of our family and we are further distraught to learn that we can not locate [him].”

Major graduated from St John’s College in Nassau, studied psychology at Winston Salem State University and soon returned home to begin her career, which was short-lived.

School is back in session but teachers are worrying about one more thing besides lesson planning: hot classrooms with no air conditioning which makes teaching and learning near impossible.

Teachers took to social media to vent their frustrations and to plead for fans to cool their sweltering classrooms.

A teacher at Huntley Christie High School in North Andros, Antoine Duncombe said, “Ain’t no way learning can take place. The sun just feels like it’s sitting on earth this time around. These classrooms are hotter than before with two or three working ceiling fans, out of the six.

“This is not conditions teachers and students should have to bare…Please donate three fans for my classroom… We burning up and I out here dressed up daily in shirt and tie.”

Many classrooms in public schools hold approximately 30 students, making it difficult for natural air to blow through the room. And, many classrooms have only ceiling fans which may be inoperable.

It is common for some teachers to purchase fans, but they do nothing to beat the intolerable heat.

A teacher at C.H. Reeves Junior High in New Providence D’Metria Smith begged for assistance from social media users.  “This heat is criminal. Please donate four fans to my classroom.”

In another post, she implored again, “I need four fans please,” as Sharell Edwards of Anatol Rodgers High School solicited an air conditioning unit because “the heat is vicious.”

Cameron Hanna, a teacher in Grand Bahama, described his classroom as “a sauna.”

Classrooms are becoming hotter as global temperatures rise, which can have a dire effect on learning. Summer months are particularly hotter with daytime temperatures reaching about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

A teacher at Eight Mile Rock High School in Grand Bahama, Prisca Hunt, asked, “Dear Mr Prime Minister, how are we teachers supposed to go the extra mile you requested of us in these scorching, inferno, sauna-degrees classrooms?”

And Canovia Ferguson requested that the government “provide comfortable classrooms for our students–classrooms in which our students can concentrate on what the teacher is saying rather than fighting to sit in front of one of the two fans in the class which was purchased by the teacher by the way.”

Some social media users responded favorably, pledging to donate fans to teachers.

The weather seems to be hotter than in past summers and government may have to consider a new type of cooling unit to ensure comfortable classrooms for learning to take place.

A teacher’s complaint spread across social media resulting in a new desk for her classroom.

Francheska McBride is a teacher who had an old desk sitting on two blocks since 2016, she claimed. As school was scheduled to reopen last week, she took to social media to vent her frustrations.

“Come to work they said. Everything is fixed they said. But yet my desk on blocks and it been like this since 2016.”

McBride’s comment sparked reaction from her followers, many appalled by the condition of the teacher’s desk.

“This is sad,” Rufus Emmanuel said.

Branell Thurston joined the chorus. “If a teacher decides to go to work in this condition that’s on him or her. No way should this be in a classroom. That’s for rodents in a dump.”

The social media post caught the attention of the Ministry of Education which gifted her with a new desk for the new school year.

McBride celebrated the new desk, expressing gratitude to the Minister of State for Education Zane Lightbourne.

“Thank you…for supplying me with a new desk and chair. This is greatly appreciated. I was too excited. Thank you, thank you.”

Her social media followers were also happy with her new desk.

Tess Amor said, “Facebook powerful I must say.”

Kenderia Nairn posted, “Only when you complain is when you see change.”

Andrea Coleby said, “Wow this was quick. Happy for you hun. Lemme go post that I poor. If yal share it they may send me some money.”

Semaj Bunch simply exclaimed, “Awesome.”

President of Bahamas Union of Teachers Belinda Wilson threatens industrial action if the Ministry of Education does not present a clear plan of its reopening procedures, as public schools begin the new school year on Monday.

In a voice note, Wilson said,”They (education officials) keep sending me the guidelines (health and safety) for the Ministry of Environmental Health. We’re asking how the Ministry of Environmental Health guidelines equate to what happens in schools.

“So it seems, the only language the education officials understand is industrial action.”

She said after six months of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, confusion and uncertainty about the health and safety protocols for teachers and students still loom.

Schools with recent COVID-19 cases on campus according to Wilson

Wilson said these schools were recently reported:

• R.M Bailey High School
• Anatol Rodgers School
• Carlton E. Francis Primary School
• Willard Patton Preschool
• Albury Sayles Primary School
• A.F Adderley Junior High
• C.H. Reeves Junior School

Belinda Wilson wants a seat at the table

Wilson wants the Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd, Permanent Secretary Lorraine Armbrister and Director Marcellus Taylor “to mature.”

She is calling on them to meet with the union to agree to a workable plan for the reopening of schools, adding that other issues plague the system since schools will reopen using a digital platform.

Digital challenges claimed by Wilson

• challenges with the tablets
• internet connection
• curriculum content on the platform
• teachers can not log on to the platform for training

Belinda’s rocky relationship with education officials may hamper other discussions

Wilson’s relationship with Director Marcellus Taylor is known to be rocky, but her relationship has recently hit a rough spot with the education minister when Lloyd said Wilson sent him WhatsApp messages containing the words “f— y’all.”

Lloyd said his ministry will not hold discussions with Wilson until she apologizes and stops behaving in a “disrespectful and insulting” manner.

Lloyd told reporters that his ministry has tried its best to work with Wilson but to no avail as her actions have threatened the quality of education for Bahamian students.

Featured Image: Tribune

A roofing expert slipped and fell to his death on Tuesday afternoon, following work on the roof of Jack Hayward High School.

Reports are that 43-year-old Eltoro Ian Johnson was working on the roof of the school at about 3pm, when he lost footing due to rain.

He was exiting the roof when he slipped and fell.

Johnson was transported to the hospital, but later died.

The Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd extended condolences to Johnson’s family.

Opposition Senator Michael Darville is calling on MICAL MP Miriam Emmanuel to stand up and say something on the issue involving the amalgamation of the school system in Mayaguana.

“It is interesting that in the face of all of this, the duly elected member for MICAL has not made a public intervention and remains silent to date.”

Darville said combining the primary and secondary public schools in Mayaguana is “a regressive education policy and a move backwards to the outdated ‘all age school’ education system.”

He said Education Minister Jeff Lloyd is ignoring the cries of the community, but he awaits Emmanuel’s response to the plight of her constituents.

What happened to the school system in Mayaguana?

Education officials closed the public schools, Abraham’s Bay High School and Pirates Well Primary school to combine the education system on the southern island.

Lloyd said this was the best move and Education Director Marcellus Taylor agreed, saying it allows for all teachers to teach on one site instead of leaving to teach at the other building.

Taylor said this new move will improve teaching and learning on the island as enrollment decreases.

Abraham’s Bay High School would become the administration building.

Where would the schools be relocated?

The schools will be relocated to the proposed refurbished site in Pirate’s Well which is the Lodge Hall building.

Teachers Union Leader Belinda Wilson said the government should pause the move until all parties come to an agreement. She described the lodge building as “dilapidated.”

Darville said the building is inadequate, not COVID-19 compliant and believes the refurbishment cannot be completed in time for school opening.

What do parents want?

On August 7^th, parents and students held a protest, demanding that the schools remain as is, saying it allows for social distancing in an era of COVID-19.

One mother said the settlement of Betsy Bay was crippled by the closure.