EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd speaks in the House of Assembly. Photo: Donavan McIntosh
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
Some public schools have seen student participation drop to “less than 50 percent,” Education Minister Jeff Lloyd revealed yesterday as he urged parents to take their children’s education more seriously.
Giving his mid-year budget contribution in the House of Assembly, Mr Lloyd explained that reduced class participation in the virtual learning platform continues to be a challenge for some institutions.
This comes despite the fact that “over 90 percent” of public school students have already received learning devices in support of the ministry’s virtual learning platform.
According to Mr Lloyd, some 3,800 public students are still without the device, but he said officials are currently working to address the matter.
Still, Mr Lloyd said there are some students who still refuse to participate in their classes.
He said while about 90 percent of registered students in most schools are regularly participating in virtual classes, there are other schools where student participation is below 50 percent – a situation he described as “dangerous” for Bahamian society.
“I have found that there are as many as 90 percent of the students online every day getting their own instructions,” he told Parliament. “Sadly, some other schools’ participation is less than 50 percent. This is not only dangerous for the child. Of course, it is, but it is also dangerous for society.
“We don’t understand and appreciate that education is critical… this is nothing to trifle (about). We (as parents) have to take it seriously. We cannot be investing in name brand clothes and things, $2,000 iPhone and claim you don’t have money to buy devices or to purchase uniforms or to provide lunch. We see this in our schools on a daily basis as do the teachers – misplaced priorities, primarily by parents.”
Mr Lloyd also said while education is “everyone’s business,” a child’s success hinges mostly on how invested a parent is in his or her education.
“I have to call out those parents who don’t seem to be taking this seriously. The ministry is doing its part. The government is doing its part. The society is doing its part. The corporate (sector) and NGOs are doing their part. The home must do its part. Parents must do their part. There is no other way.”
Yesterday, Mr Lloyd also revealed his ministry’s plan to implement a newly revised curriculum that will facilitate changes in several key subjects both at the primary and secondary level.
“We are pleased to report that by July this year, 2021, we anticipate a newly revised curriculum in more than 10 disciplines in the public educational system in The Bahamas, including language arts, social studies, science and computer studies at the primary level.
“At the secondary level, business studies, general science, biology, chemistry, computer studies, carpentry, construction and the performing arts – as we realise that the curriculum has to be relevant in a 21st century in which we live.”
Meanwhile, given the late return of some students back to the classrooms, Mr Lloyd also said it is likely that this year’s national examinations may be “adjusted” to accommodate those individuals – something he has said previously.
However, he said more details will be provided at a later date and urged both parents and students to be on the look-out for future announcements.
“As announced, the exams are scheduled to start April 13,” he said.
“But with most students just returning to face-to-face on February 23, it is possible that that schedule may be adjusted to give our students more time, if we find it necessary, to prepare.
“Therefore, the ministry asks parents and students to remain alert for future announcements about the start of exams. In the meantime, students, please take this time to prepare as earnestly as you can. The exams are coming, barring any unforeseen circumstances.”
Schools closed last March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in institutions switching to a virtual platform.
Public schools reopened after the summer break last October, however schools in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma were teaching virtually until given the go ahead to begin phased face-to-face learning in February.
Comments
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Most parent's are struggling to put food on the table for their children thanks in great part to the failed social and economic policies of the Minnis-led FNM administration. And this chowderhead nimcompoop Lloyd is sadly a part of that failed administration as minister of education. He knows full well that parents have little time or almost no ability to help their children with their educational needs when they are severely financial distressed and living day-to-day in survival mode. Yet this imbecile Lloyd has the audacity and temerity to blame these struggling parents for his very own very serious failings as minister of education. What a self-aggrandizing idiot LLoyd is. Minnis could not have picked a more incompetent minister of education.
bogart 3 years, 1 month ago
@Tribanon. You have it correct on the Minister of Education on "the audacity and termenity to blame these struggling parents for his very own failings.' We all should know that he refuses to point his fingers at his fellow Ministers failings to eliminate gangs influencing school children, failings of the Defence Force in stopping influx of undocumented migrants children into schools, children in abject grinding poverty living in illegal shantytowns, immigration dept having parents deported and not accounting for children, Immigration dept having children in schools graduating before age 18 and without papers, and the list of shortcomings of othetr govt dept which negatively impact the lives of getting education. The Minister ought to know better than to solely blame the parents.
bahamianson 3 years, 1 month ago
parents need to take every role in their child's life. After all, the child came from them not everyone else in society. However, society ends up taking care of them. When parents have sex, they do not ask the society for consent. why do they ask the society to help them take care of their children. we did not enjoy the sex.
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Our children have been short changed by decades of corrupt politicians who have failed to create not only the economic opportunities needed for a better upbringing in the home, but also the resouces needed for a much better quality of education at school. There's only so much parents who are stretched to the very limit can do for their children, and very few things contribute more to a dysfunctional home life and upbringing than severe financial stress. Decades of failed economic and social policies attributable to incompetent and corrupt governments have resulted in the vast majority of Bahamian families living in serious hardship.
TalRussell 3 years, 1 month ago
Just recently I had asked a now has grown much discouraged rankin' in the know redshirt, Exactly from what planet, does this group of House-elected redshirt MPs, the politically appointed and anointed come from?, and their delayed replay, "Not exactly 100% certain but judging on a similarity of behaviors I'm pretty damn sure had to have been the very same planet as our Mr. Minnnis."Yep?
bogart 3 years, 1 month ago
'"The home must do its part. Parents must do their part. There is no other way."
Therein lies the problem, that the Minister fails to understand that most of these homes are not from the textbook he is using. Homes are not the ideal textbook of one married couple, a father and a mother with 2 children. Homes do not have the father present, and many even have the grandmother trying to raising the children. The reality picture is different from the Minister's picture.
birdiestrachan 3 years, 1 month ago
The former deacon will go down in history as the worst minister of education ever in the history of the Bahamas.
He can not drag the old shoes of Mr Frances. Mr Adderley. Mr Sears or Mr Fritizegreld.
TalRussell 3 years, 1 month ago
The colony's education officials had have been squintin' their high on joints blasphemy weeds eyes whilst followin' the instructions handed down from the office thee Mr. Minnis (OTMM)) to alignin' the portraits of Jeff, alongside the portraits of the crown's most formable former crown minister, Comrade Cecil Wallace.
Gracious me, I'm guessin' the schools' vandals has not yet come across the placin' of the portraits. Yep?
FrustratedBusinessman 3 years, 1 month ago
Lloyd is 100% right in this one. The only sad part is that most Bahamian children do not have parent(s), but only a parent, or a grammy. In short, nobody really cares for these children.
Should be a crime to bring children into the world and give them such a crappy head start in life.
TalRussell 3 years, 1 month ago
It would indeed be a dangerous situation for society if the MOE, hasn't thought have been in physical contact with the households of the other schools' students where the online participation level is below 50 percent in an attempt to uncover the whys to the students haven't gone online...who knows if, amongst the whys, it could be as simple as our household is just another one amongst the thousands which BPL* sent out crews to cut off the power? Yep?
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
The parents are legally responsible for the children from birth to 18
The parents are the childrens' first teachers
It took two parents to make the child ....... but 75% of our homes are headed by single mothers
Where are the men/fathers/baby daddies/sperm donors????????
Lloyd was in charge of YEAST ......... he knows what he is talking about (Truth hurts)
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
What have successive FNM and PLP governments done to create decent paying jobs for under employed and unemployed Bahamian fathers? We certainly know what successive FNM and PLP governments have done to all but destroy our public education system, leaving many men ill-equipped for the work place. And it's common knowledge that few things take a more harmful toll on a father's self-esteem and mental health than his inability to be productively and gainfully employed in order to provide for his family. We've had decades of incompetent and corrupt politicians, mainly men, who have failed their fellow man making it all too easy for many of them to be labelled or branded as 'deadbeat' worthless fathers by the women in our society. Sadly, many of these victimized deadbeat fathers are prone to living a life of violence and crime.
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