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News : Bahamas Information Services Updates Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Bahamian school openings for Islands affected by Hurricane Matthew
By Bahamas’ Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST)
Oct 15, 2016 - 6:35:54 PM

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Schools in New Providence to open on Tuesday, October 18th and schools in Grand Bahama and North Andros will open on Wednesday, October 19th, 2016

Nassau, Bahamas – 14th October, 2016 – Education Minister, the Hon. Jerome K. Fitzgerald announced that schools in New Providence would open on Tuesday, October 18th with the exception of C. I. Gibson and Government High School; while schools in Grand Bahama and North Andros will open on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. This announcement came at a press conference held at the Ministry’s headquarters late Friday afternoon.

Teachers in New Providence are to report for duty on Monday, October 17th and in Grand Bahama as well as North and Central Andros on Tuesday, October 18th, 2016.

The Minister also stated that changes have been made to the school calendar to accommodate make-up days. This comes after a consensus by Ministry officials and BUT executives. For both the October and February mid-term breaks, students will have two days off as opposed to four and two days will also be taken from the Christmas break. The Minister outlined the adjustments as follows:

·  The October mid-term break would have been from the 19th to the 24th. Students and teachers will now be off on Friday, 21st and Monday 24th October only.

·  During the month of December, students were originally scheduled to be dismissed for the Christmas holiday on Wednesday, December 14th, 2016. Students will remain in school until Friday, 16th December, 2016.

·  The February mid-term break would have been from the 22nd to the 27th. Students and teachers will now be off on Friday 24th and Monday 27th February 2017 only.

Minister Fitzgerald also spoke to the fact that some students may now be without uniforms and clearly stated the Ministry’s position. “We have advised administrators to be mindful that some students may have lost personal effects inclusive of uniforms during the storm. We have indicated to administrators to be sensitive to the circumstances of students, particularly those who may not have any or complete uniforms. They are to use good judgment and give some lenience during the next couple of weeks.”

Unfortunately, there were individuals who took the opportunity to vandalize a few of our schools and steal computers, projectors and other items from campuses during the hurricane; the most reprehensible being at the Sandilands Primary School. Sadly, theft also occurred at E.P. Roberts Primary School, C.R. Walker Senior High and Stapledon School.  Fitzgerald had this to say, “I am appalled that persons could target educational institutions and interfere with our students’ learning environments.” He also indicated that the culprits were caught by police. “I am delighted to report that police have persons in custody for the robbery at Sandilands Primary and were able to recover most of the stolen items. Sadly, the thieves are from the Fox Hill community. I expect nothing less than swift justice in this case.”

The psychological well-being of our administrators, teachers, support staff and students is among our top priorities. According to the Minister, “psychological support will be made available by our experienced counselors to those wishing to use it, to ensure that the emotional needs of those impacted by Hurricane Matthew are addressed, as we attempt to return to some semblance of normalcy.”

Minister Fitzgerald also mentioned the fact that the Ministry of Education has forged a collaboration with Bahamas Power and Light and Ministry of Environmental Health. “We have been in constant communication with Bahamas Power and Light as well as Ministry of Environmental Health and both entities have assembled teams to deal specifically with our schools and we thank them for their partnership and cooperation.”

Acknowledgement was also made of the great leadership being displayed. Minister Fitzgerald said, “There are many heart-warming stories and acts of heroism by many of our administrators and teachers and I thank the administrators for their leadership in the midst of these difficult and trying times.”

Minister ended his remarks by praising the administrators, teachers and support staff stating, “What I knew all along has been confirmed once again; our administrators, teachers and support staff are committed to their profession and their students. Despite the personal hardship many of them have endured, they have once again risen to the occasion and their passion for education has been unwavering. Thank you for your dedication to your schools, but most importantly, to your students - the future of our beloved country!”

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