Teachers pay hike promise

Jeff Lloyd, Minister of Education, at the opening ceremony for the orientation exercise for newly-appointed teachers. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

As of Wednesday, August 23, 2017

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd pledged yesterday to increase the salaries of teachers “to match the role educators play in society” as well as provide scholarships to instructors seeking to obtain master’s degrees and PhDs.

Addressing newly appointed teachers at an orientation exercise at Uriah McPhee Primary School, Mr Lloyd urged teachers to “help me help you” as he assured them that whatever he promises them, he will deliver.

Mr Lloyd also said the government hopes to extend its pilot programme of equipping pre-schools with electronic tablets throughout the country within a year or two. He also said his ministry is in the process of revamping the current curriculum to lessen the number of classes students are required to take.

“We are going to capacitate the Professional Development Institute, so that you will and continue to be equipped with the required skills and supplies to do an effective job. I invite you to go on to get your master’s degree and PhDs and I promise you that the Ministry of Education is going to make the resources available so you may do so,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Today the scholarship mindset is ‘Let us give scholarships to those entering for the first time, maybe here or there we will give the master’s degree but hardly ever a PhD and that cannot be intelligent, that cannot be a smart application of our resources.

“No, sir. We want people to continue on with their master’s and want them to continue on with their PhDs and teachers are at the forefront of that consideration. I will help you to do so...I am an educator and we have lived with the expectation that because you are doing God’s service you should be satisfied with menial, small salaries. Lies. The devil is a lair.

“We like to talk about the importance of education and please understand it’s important. Well I invite this country to put its money where its mouth is, if we consider education to be important then let us pay the professionals what you deserve and that will change. I will help you with that.”

Mr Lloyd also said within two years, he hopes to have hand held devices in all pre-schools in the Bahamas.

“We have to rethink education,” Mr Lloyd said.

“So we are going to introduce this year, iPads and tablets or handheld devices in a selected number of pre-schools. Right now, we have 340 in the test programme and our intention is to have all other preschools equipped with these iPads within a reasonable period of time and I hope that that can happen within the next year, certainly within the next two years. “The point is that technology is crucial. We are going to make that a priority in the Ministry of Education because that is where the world is today.

“I am happy that our team is already working on reformation of curriculum, look more closely primary schools where they are overwhelmed with the number of subjects they must address. Children are not playing enough, I am not telling you to let children run wild in the yard, even though there is a place for that but in a properly controlled supervised environment, children learn through play that is their method of understanding the world.”

On Sunday, Mr Lloyd said the Minnis administration plans to build at least one new school in southwest New Providence this term. He also said his ministry is looking into several public private partnership strategies to plan and construct new schools.

Once finalised, the government will enter into “25-year, lease to own agreements” with private entities for several proprieties.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago

Jeff Lloyd is out to lunch. Good teachers with a large chalk board in a decent classroom (of less than 30 students) with plenty of chalk is all that's needed to teach basic English and Math skills, as well as many other subjects. Take a page out of the Catholic Schools Education programs. All of the electronic gadgetry is an expensive distraction - and that includes smart internet ready boards in classrooms. Why doesn't Lloyd tell us who will be the muck-a-muck FNM supporter to get the very lucrative contract to supply the grossly over-priced iPads to the Ministry of Education?

tell_it_like_it_is 7 years, 4 months ago

Actually, though expansive gadgetry if not used appropriately to match curriculum goals can be a waste, the old "chalk and talk" method is highly out-of-date. Most schools internationally are moving away from the lecture style methodology to a more collaborative learning approach.

I think Jeff Lloyd is moving in the right direction, though I prefer the 'one laptop-per-child' initiative. (Where 'bare bones' inexpensive mini laptops - roughly $100 are loaded with electronic text and workbooks that children can use and also make use of (either state sponsored- or on a payment plan that once completed - they get to keep the device.) Government also spends quite a bit on text books which students have to share which can be a bit of a waste every year.
The flipped classroom is also becoming widely used internationally where teachers create learning videos that students follow at home and complete "home-work" during class time instead. That way, they can watch videos over and over until they fully grasp the concept (e.g. Long division) and complete the practice problems that would normally be home-work at school for immediate teacher feedback.

BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 4 months ago

Still making promises after the election Jeffrey? You guys are in control!

Lets stop making promises and make things happen!

birdiestrachan 7 years, 4 months ago

The former deacon had better find that money right out of those bare cupboards they talk about.

TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago

Comrades! Oh my sweet Jesus - who supposedly is keep these Deacons in check.... Is your Deacon suffering from “irregularity” issue?
Likes, shouldn't the red cabinet first keep their salary payment promises made to the nurses and policeman's - before moving on to making new promises to the teachers?
Of all the Crown's red cabinet ministers - Jeff seems most jump out in front the nearest passing reporter to utter the most foolishness.... Well he's in tight race against ministers Dionisio and Marvin's foolishness?
Oh Jeff, are you and your cabinet colleagues just going keep ignoring your red party's 2017 General Election promise to remove VAT from the poor and near poor peoples"Bread Basket" items?

baldbeardedbahamian 7 years, 4 months ago

Lao Tops in schools? Great idea and I like the limited roll-out so it's effectiveness can be assessed. The Ministry of Education should also consider a much longer academic year to bring us in line with academically successful countries such as Japan. No more twelve week summer recesses.

TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago

I see!

DDK 7 years, 4 months ago

Lap-tops for PRE-SCHOOL children? Will they be unbreakable?

I certainly hope this Minister knows the source from which these scholarship funds will be derived? Think they will be coming from the gambling shops?

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago

Not only very breakable, but also very losable......hence a very good ongoing lucrative stream of profits for the muck-a-muck FNM supporter who will be the 'appointed' local agent/intermediary supplying them to the Ministry of Education at a greatly inflated price.

avidreader 7 years, 4 months ago

You worrying about the laptops being unbreakable. The teachers had better be unbreakable considering what they will face in the classrooms of the real world. Discipline and home support will do a lot more good than any fancy electronic device in the hands of the student who is very likely more capable in its use than the teacher. Basic skills are so important at an early age that I wonder how the older generation managed without all these devices. The answer is that those who were interested in the material and were encouraged at home to do their best were able to master the material in the time allotted. While no teacher can reach every child it is also true that adding fancy devices to the classroom without the additional ingredients of interest and discipline will not improve overall performance.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago

Thank you.

CatIslandBoy 7 years, 4 months ago

You PLP apologists and Negative Soothsayers need to take a Chill Pill. It is because of backward thinking and nonsensical rubbish, like what you are espousing here, that our educational system is at the bottom of the barrel. Four years ago, I visited an elementary school in Trinidad that showcased their little students using the computers that were provided in partnership with a Corporate giant.

DDK 7 years, 4 months ago

PLP APOLOGISTS and NEGATIVE SOOTHSAYERS?? What time did you go out to lunch?

Reality_Check 7 years, 4 months ago

He may not appreciate that some of the most exclusive and successful charter schools in the NYC metropolitan area have dropped all use of electronic gadgetry from their education programs with the sole exception of hand held graphing calculators with basic trig, statistical and business functionality. Based on their successful education metrics to date, charter schools in many other parts of the U.S. have either already done or are thinking about doing the same thing. It seems the use of "electronic tools" in the primary and secondary education years (pre-college/university years) is not all that it was originally cut out to be, with some serious downside aspects to the overall quality of learning. But the school of thought here (pun fully intended) is still out.

DDK 7 years, 4 months ago

Thank you!

CatIslandBoy 7 years, 4 months ago

If the Cap fits.......

birdiestrachan 7 years, 4 months ago

Catislandboy is to roc wit doc what fox news is to Donald Trump; The Bahamas has its own Donald Trump. and catisland boy is his fox news.

DDK 7 years, 4 months ago

Cute, Birdie!

sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago

The rookie Bahamian teacher with a B.Ed makes 25K while the Florida teacher makes 48K and the New York teacher makes 75K ............ A Bahamian high school principal makes 40K, while a US principal can make 100K ....... a Bahamian superintendent makes 50K while in the US, she can make 150K ............. and when you think what they are paying specialist teachers in Dubai etc. ......... No wonder there can be 200 resignations each August ........ for greener pastures ....... But a Cuban teacher who makes USD$40.00 a month or a Guyanese teacher who makes USD$300.00 will jump to come to The Bahamas ......... The unions have Jeff Lloyd in a bind because he cannot even find teachers to send to the islands without paying out big allowances.

avidreader 7 years, 4 months ago

Here we go again! When you compare salaries between countries you have to take into account the realities of income tax as well as other related expenses associated with life in a more heavily populated and regulated country. The Bahamas Government has to consider that by offering teaching positions to non Bahamians it avoids the obligations of retirement pension benefits, among other liabilities. We want an advanced society without the tax base to support such a society. However, the day will come when the government will either drastically revise the tax base of the country or accept high levels of unemployment and social unrest.