Career Guidance & Job Opportunities

Bermuda Education Review Part 1


Bermuda Education Review Part 2

Island options before going to university abroad if academically qualified

Introduction

In recent months, Dutch and German business newcomers assigned to Bermuda-based offices of their international businesses have asked about what facilities exist in Bermuda for their children to be taught in their own language in Bermuda's public and private schools. Newcomers working in Bermuda or the spouse of a newcomer with a young child or children should note that all schools in Bermuda are taught in English only. None are bilingual. Bermuda is a tiny island of only 21 square miles or 56 kilometers in total land area. The educational system here is completely independent of the systems of any foreign country such as the United Kingdom, USA or Canada or beyond. Unlike in far larger countries with significant multi-cultural populations and cultural and educational facilities and laws and faculties to match, no laws or facilities of any kind exist (because there is no or insufficient demand for them) in Bermuda for non-English-speaking children to be taught while at school in any language other than English. It is perhaps for this reason that most non-Bermudian newcomers tend to be either childless or with grown-up children or have teenage children studying abroad, in their own countries or elsewhere outside of Bermuda - such as in USA or Canada or Europe or United Kingdom.

All education, whether at a Bermuda Government funded or maintained and taxpayer-supported school (a public school) or private school (not taxpayer-supported but with fees paid by parents) is administered and controlled by the Bermuda Government's Ministry of Education and Development, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget DV 04, P. O. Box HM 1185, Hamilton HM EX phone (441) 236-6904. Fax 236-4006, Bermuda. All enquiries about education in Bermuda not shown in this file should be directed to the latter, not to this author.

In the past 15 years there have been ten Ministers of Education. They are

* 1992. Gerald Simons (United Bermuda Party Government, UBP).
* May 1993, Clarence Terceira (UBP)
* August 1995, Jerome Dill (UBP)
* May 1998, Tim Smith (UBP)
* 1998. Premier Jennifer Smith (Progressive Labour Party) appointed herself Education Minister.
* March 1999, Milton Scott (PLP).
* December 2001, Paula Cox (PLP)
* January 2004, Terry Lister (PLP)
* September 2006, Neletha Butterfield (PLP)
* November 2006, Randy Horton (PLP)

Public education in Bermuda at Bermuda Government owned or maintained schools is conducted by accredited and qualified teachers who must be certified by the Bermuda Government and are members of the Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT), at Seventy Two Teachers' Place, 72 Church Street, Hamilton HM 12. P. O. Box HM 726, Hamilton HM CX. Phone (441) 292 6515. Fax (441) 292 0697. Founded February 1, 1919. In 1964, it combined with the Teachers Association of Bermuda (see book The Teachers Association of Bermuda (1949 to 1964).The result was the Amalgamated Bermuda Union of Teachers. Any accredited and qualified teacher at any private school in Bermuda can also become a member of BUT if they wish. It has a representative on the Labor Advisory Council and Public Service Superannuation Board, both Bermuda Government Boards.

Non-nationals accepting teaching posts in Bermuda from the United Kingdom should note that unlike in the UK there are

* No Teachers' Superannuation Pension Scheme
* No Repayment of Teachers Loans (RTL) scheme.
* No special housing plans or preferred professional grants or finance packages for teachers as there are in the UK, etc.

The Bermuda Educators Council Act came into effect in July 2002. It improves standards in the profession and increases the esteem in which teachers are held. It sets the framework for registration, not for licensing, but as a result all Bermudian and imported teachers - not those in an administrative role - will now have to be licensed.

The Education Amendment Act 2003, among other things, sets the stage for the regulation of home schools.

Education in Bermuda is compulsory for all children from 5 to 16. It is free for parents of students at Government schools, namely primary schools, middle schools, senior schools and special schools - all day schools - comprising preschools, junior, special and secondary schools - administered by Bermuda's Ministry of Education. It is NOT free for parents of students at local private day schools (there are no local boarding schools in Bermuda).

Newcomers with children of school age can choose whether to enroll them in a Government or private school, in Bermuda or overseas.

This webfile shows, separately, both the Government schools and the Private schools.

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