Ruling paves way for PTAs to have a greater say on schools’ issues

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A greater voice in the public school system could be given to parent teacher associations thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court that overturned two school principal transfers.

“We want Bermuda to understand that we’re not trying to dethrone the Government,” said TN Tatem Middle School PTA head Quinton Ming. “We just want them to be more transparent and to listen to us.”

Mr Ming, along with Victor Scott Primary PTA president Azuhaa Coleman, challenged the Ministry of Education’s decision to transfer principals Francine McMahon and Valerie Williams, on the basis that PTAs were never consulted.

“This is just about communication,” he said. “As parents, we’re the main stakeholders in the school system, and we were never consulted. We weren’t told why they were moving these principals — only that they were good.”

Chief Justice Ian Kawaley found in the schools’ favour on August 1, postponing the move for a year. According to a Ministry spokeswoman, the implications of that decision are still being explored, since the transfers were part of a wider restructuring of the public school system.

Noting that there was “inevitable tension” in any move to change the management culture of an institution, Mr Justice Kawaley found that a parental right to participation ought not to be denied, although he conceded that the form for their heightened involvement “will have to be worked out in the future”.

Asked how PTAs planned to structure their involvement, Mr Ming said: “The Bermuda Parent Teacher Student Association will be the vehicle in which we look at dealing with situations that affect PTAs across the Island. It’s already in place and it will make things easier, in terms of giving Government ideas.”

Mr Ming said the two PTAs had retained the services of lawyer Eugene Johnston in the meantime, but that he expected the main PTA group to hold a meeting on the issue “soon”.

A spokeswoman for the BPTSA said the group expected to have "a useful role to play in building relations between parents and the Department of Education to optimise parental involvement for the benefit of students”.

She said: “The particulars of that role will not be determined until we have the opportunity to obtain a mandate from our PTA members. In the meantime, our executive members will be meeting in the coming weeks to determine next steps."

Useful website: www.moed.bm.

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