Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper brought remarks at Lyford Cay International School Founders Day Assembly, January 27, 2023.  Deputy Prime Minister Cooper was accompanied by Mrs. Cecilia Cooper.  Also in attendance: the Hon. Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Technical & Vocational Training; British High Commissioner HE Tom Hartley; and other government officials.

 

In response to concerns expressed, University of The Bahamas released a notification on Thursday 26th January 2023 that effective immediately the Portia M. Smith Building at the Oakes Field Campus is closed until further notice as a precautionary measure. Immediate steps have been taken to engage the Ministry of Environmental Health to conduct a thorough assessment of the building. In the interim, personnel assigned to Portia M. Smith have been instructed to work remotely to maintain the continuity of operations. A further communication will be issued once the assessment has been completed as we continue to provide timely updates. Please be assured that the health, safety, and welfare of members of the University community and the general public are paramount and we are working with urgency to address this matter.

In response to concerns expressed, University of The Bahamas released a notification on Thursday 26th January 2023 that effective immediately the Portia M. Smith Building at the Oakes Field Campus is closed until further notice as a precautionary measure.

Immediate steps have been taken to engage the Ministry of Environmental Health to conduct a thorough assessment of the building. In the interim, personnel assigned to Portia M. Smith have been instructed to work remotely to maintain the continuity of operations. A further communication will be issued once the assessment has been completed as we continue to provide timely updates.

Please be assured that the health, safety, and welfare of members of the University community and the general public are paramount and we are working with urgency to address this matter.

 

Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin said the recent lockdowns and shutdowns in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have had multiple negative effects on education. 

“Indeed, it has been noted that no sector has been more severely affected than the education sector,” the Minister said at a press conference on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 announcing that the Ministry will be undertaking assessments on children at public schools throughout the country to evaluate the extent of the learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A tremendous body of research has been conducted globally and regionally and there is unanimity in the findings that millions of children worldwide are suffering from learning loss.

Minister Hanna-Martin explained that learning loss according to the World Bank refers to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or to reversals in academic progress, most commonly due to extended gaps”.

She also noted that a World Bank report published in June 2022 shows that “prolonged school closures, poor mitigation effectiveness, and household-income shocks had the biggest impact on learning poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a predicted 80 per cent of children at the end-of-primary-school-age now unable to understand a simple written text, up from around 50 per cent pre-pandemic”.

The Minister said, “It is incumbent upon us in The Bahamas to measure the impact of COVID-19 which will give us real data as to the extent of learning loss so as to allow us to craft interventions to help our children catch up. The report shows that even before COVID-19 there was a learning crisis; COVID-19 exacerbated this crisis to huge proportions.”

She said the World Bank reported to avoid a permanent impact on the human capital accumulation of this generation, countries need to focus on reversing those losses and accelerating learning.

Minister Hanna-Martin said as a demonstration of data driven research, the Ministry commissioned a survey with the Department of Statistics to ascertain the reasons why thousands of children did not sign on to virtual learning and this data has given much insight into an array of issues.

She said another exercise that was undertaken nationwide involved public and private teams dispatched into communities to compile first-hand data on children not attending school.

“The deployment of attendance officers followed this initiative, to procure the attendances of students. Due to these combined efforts, we have been able to achieve an unprecedented school attendance rate of 94 per cent.

“Further, we commissioned a research project with the University of The Bahamas to identify factors which influence learning outcomes to our school population. This research will assist the Ministry in shaping policy and creating targeted interventions.”

Dominique McCartney-Russell, Acting Director said the Ministry has hired a consultant firm to undertake a diagnostic assessment of the learning loss that has occurred in the country and to provide recommendations for accelerating learning recovery.

After a bidding process, Renaissance Learning Inc. was the winning firm based on several criteria. These include:

• The company should have had at least a minimum of three years of successful consultancy in the education sector with the expertise required to satisfactorily complete the assignment.

• They should have successful experience in at least three assignments of similar value and complexity in diagnostic assessment, remediation and acceleration in a school system.

• They should also have experience in providing services to school systems with a student population of more than 35,000 children from grades K to 12.

The Acting Director said, “We looked at qualifications experience, methodologies, work plans, organization and staffing, subject matter expertise and overall competence for this assignment.”

She added, “The mandate of this consultancy includes diagnostic assessment, the remediation and the salvation of learning recovery for students in K to 12 in the public school sector.”

Renaissance Learning Inc. has worldwide impact and operations in countries including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean.

According to Renaissance Learning Inc. website, since 1986, its mission has been to accelerate learning for all children and adults of all ability levels and ethnic and social backgrounds, worldwide.  Today, more than 40 per cent of US schools rely on Renaissance solutions for data and insights to equitably move learning forward. 

 

Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin said the recent lockdowns and shutdowns in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have had multiple negative effects on education.   “Indeed, it has been noted that no sector has been more severely affected than the education sector,” the Minister said at a press conference on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 announcing that the Ministry will be undertaking assessments on children at public schools throughout the country to evaluate the extent of the learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   “A tremendous body of research has been conducted globally and regionally and there is unanimity in the findings that millions of children worldwide are suffering from learning loss. Minister Hanna-Martin explained that learning loss according to the World Bank refers to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or to reversals in academic progress, most commonly due to extended gaps”. She also noted that a World Bank report published in June 2022 shows that “prolonged school closures, poor mitigation effectiveness, and household-income shocks had the biggest impact on learning poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a predicted 80 per cent of children at the end-of-primary-school-age now unable to understand a simple written text, up from around 50 per cent pre-pandemic”. The Minister said, “It is incumbent upon us in The Bahamas to measure the impact of COVID-19 which will give us real data as to the extent of learning loss so as to allow us to craft interventions to help our children catch up. The report shows that even before COVID-19 there was a learning crisis; COVID-19 exacerbated this crisis to huge proportions.”   She said the World Bank reported to avoid a permanent impact on the human capital accumulation of this generation, countries need to focus on reversing those losses and accelerating learning. Minister Hanna-Martin said as a demonstration of data driven research, the Ministry commissioned a survey with the Department of Statistics to ascertain the reasons why thousands of children did not sign on to virtual learning and this data has given much insight into an array of issues. She said another exercise that was undertaken nationwide involved public and private teams dispatched into communities to compile first-hand data on children not attending school.   “The deployment of attendance officers followed this initiative, to procure the attendances of students. Due to these combined efforts, we have been able to achieve an unprecedented school attendance rate of 94 per cent.   “Further, we commissioned a research project with the University of The Bahamas to identify factors which influence learning outcomes to our school population. This research will assist the Ministry in shaping policy and creating targeted interventions.” Dominique McCartney-Russell, Acting Director said the Ministry has hired a consultant firm to undertake a diagnostic assessment of the learning loss that has occurred in the country and to provide recommendations for accelerating learning recovery. After a bidding process, Renaissance Learning Inc. was the winning firm based on several criteria. These include: • The company should have had at least a minimum of three years of successful consultancy in the education sector with the expertise required to satisfactorily complete the assignment. • They should have successful experience in at least three assignments of similar value and complexity in diagnostic assessment, remediation and acceleration in a school system. • They should also have experience in providing services to school systems with a student population of more than 35,000 children from grades K to 12. The Acting Director said, “We looked at qualifications experience, methodologies, work plans, organization and staffing, subject matter expertise and overall competence for this assignment.” She added, “The mandate of this consultancy includes diagnostic assessment, the remediation and the salvation of learning recovery for students in K to 12 in the public school sector.” Renaissance Learning Inc. has worldwide impact and operations in countries including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. According to Renaissance Learning Inc. website, since 1986, its mission has been to accelerate learning for all children and adults of all ability levels and ethnic and social backgrounds, worldwide.  Today, more than 40 per cent of US schools rely on Renaissance solutions for data and insights to equitably move learning forward.  

The Scholarship and Loan Division of the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training continues to build partnerships and secure relationships with accredited international colleges and universities to allow Bahamian students to benefit from tuition waivers and discounts on college expenses.

The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training in an address at All Bahamas Merit and National merit Scholars Award Ceremony January 5, 2023, underscored that it is “crucial” for The Bahamas to invest in the future of the nation through education and training. She said higher education can transform the lives of young people, unlock potential in children, and open doors for many future career opportunities.

Over 600 new scholarships were approved and more than 700 scholarships renewed by the Division for 2022.  Of the 600 scholarships, 122 were disbursed to recipients of the Public School Scholars Programme Scholarship.

Currently, there are 71 agreements between the Ministry of Education and various organizations including 37 individual universities, 18 agreements with Organization of American States, and 16 agreements with the Gerace Research Centre Scholarship.

“The scholarships offered to Bahamian students are inclusive of all students who want to attend college, including those who wish to pursue certification in the technical and vocational field through the National Technical Scholarship.  The emphasis on technical and vocational training is crucial to the continuous development of our nation by creating a skilled labour force and enhancing the quality of life of Bahamian citizens.

“Bahamian student athletes are also afforded opportunities to train and compete in their sport and become educated at the highest level through scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education, such as the Student Athlete Track and Field Grant. Tens of student athlete scholarships are disbursed annually and the Ministry continues to build partnerships to increase the number of scholarship opportunities offered to Bahamian students who wish to pursue a tertiary education. 

“With all that is being done – more must be done and will be done to create greater accessibility for all of our talented young people,” said Minister Hanna-Martin.

The Scholarship and Loan Division was established in 2003 to encourage and support Bahamian students in their pursuit of college, university, vocational and graduate school education through financial aid, advising and the granting of scholarships.

The motto of the Division is “Connecting Students with Transformative Scholarship Opportunities.”

 

The Scholarship and Loan Division of the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training continues to build partnerships and secure relationships with accredited international colleges and universities to allow Bahamian students to benefit from tuition waivers and discounts on college expenses. The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training in an address at All Bahamas Merit and National merit Scholars Award Ceremony January 5, 2023, underscored that it is “crucial” for The Bahamas to invest in the future of the nation through education and training. She said higher education can transform the lives of young people, unlock potential in children, and open doors for many future career opportunities.   Over 600 new scholarships were approved and more than 700 scholarships renewed by the Division for 2022.  Of the 600 scholarships, 122 were disbursed to recipients of the Public School Scholars Programme Scholarship.   Currently, there are 71 agreements between the Ministry of Education and various organizations including 37 individual universities, 18 agreements with Organization of American States, and 16 agreements with the Gerace Research Centre Scholarship.   “The scholarships offered to Bahamian students are inclusive of all students who want to attend college, including those who wish to pursue certification in the technical and vocational field through the National Technical Scholarship.  The emphasis on technical and vocational training is crucial to the continuous development of our nation by creating a skilled labour force and enhancing the quality of life of Bahamian citizens.   “Bahamian student athletes are also afforded opportunities to train and compete in their sport and become educated at the highest level through scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education, such as the Student Athlete Track and Field Grant. Tens of student athlete scholarships are disbursed annually and the Ministry continues to build partnerships to increase the number of scholarship opportunities offered to Bahamian students who wish to pursue a tertiary education.    “With all that is being done – more must be done and will be done to create greater accessibility for all of our talented young people,” said Minister Hanna-Martin. The Scholarship and Loan Division was established in 2003 to encourage and support Bahamian students in their pursuit of college, university, vocational and graduate school education through financial aid, advising and the granting of scholarships. The motto of the Division is “Connecting Students with Transformative Scholarship Opportunities.”