May 20, 2004

Dear Sir,

I am writing in reference to the current dispute between the BUT and the Government. I don't agree with the way Government is treating the teachers because what they are doing to them seems unfair. If the teachers do decide to take action by striking and wasting precious education time, once again, then I support their actions to the fullest extent.

Teachers are very important and if the Government does not realise this then they are blind and don't deserve the positions that they currently hold. Teachers prepared them to be the politicians and professionals that they are today. No one would be anything without a teacher. Teachers are the foundation for all other professions yet most professions are paid far more then they are.

Teachers see children just as much as the parents do and in some cases they see them more. They are not only our teachers but our friends, our counsellors, our nurses, our disciplinarians, our referees and our cheerleaders. Why does it seem no one ever takes this into consideration? Teachers are our parents away from home and sometimes teachers are there for us even more than our parents yet the Government chooses to treat them like this. How absurd.

Teachers help us through some of the toughest periods in our lives. They not only teach us the subjects but they teach us about life and community. When our whole world seems to be overwhelming us our teachers are there. When parents are out working two to three jobs to support us because rents are so high and nobody else is around, they make sure students have what they need to go throughout our day (including meals, school supplies and clean school clothes in some cases.)

Who is there when we need someone to talk to and we can't talk to our parents? Who comes in early and on weekends and leaves late because they are marking papers, preparing the next days lessons or just getting things in order for their students ? Who is it? It is our teachers!

To classify them as part time is indeed a joke. To me it seems the people in positions of power abuse that power and they only do it because they can and it doesn't affect them like it does the rest of us. I love my country and the people in it but some things that go on are just not right. I am a student who has had the cream of the crop when it comes to my teachers.

They have helped me and encouraged me and provided me with the desire to be excellent in all that I do. To be able to do that in the life of a child is priceless. So, to Mrs. Maybury, Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Walters, Miss Burgess, Mr. James, Miss Scott, Mr. Euler, Miss Kelly, Mr. Smith, Miss W. Smith, Mrs. Greene, Mrs. Figureido, Mrs. Beckles, Mrs. Wheddon and my present teachers, thank you. I am not only a product of my family but a product of you. To me you could not be paid enough.

To the government, as a voice of Bermuda's youth I state these words:

They say we're the future and that we should lead,

So to those in power…now take heed.

That if you continue to go on this way,

I, as a voice of the youth, simply would say.

We didn't cause the problems that now exist,

So it shouldn't be up to us to try and fix.

The country your creating is not what God wanted,

And if it's what you're leaving us

…then we don't want it!

This Government is always claiming to have the best interest of its children at heart so do your children a favour and give the teachers what they want and deserve.

RAISA TUZO, 15

Warwick Academy

Teachers have parity now

May 21, 2004

Dear Sir,

Your editorial on the “education strike” was thoughtful. I would like to take up a few points for additional discussion.

Some years ago, decades ago in fact, teachers reached out to the civil service pay structure in an attempt to improve their own salary levels. It is generally accepted that they have been successful.

The present difficulty (after the last arbitration award that was exceedingly generous and some would say excessive) is that reason seems to have been abandoned by the leadership of the BUT and greed has been let loose.

Teachers work for ten months in the year and within that period they have four weeks paid vacation - Christmas, Easter, mid-term breaks and personal days. A majority of teachers - six out of ten - earn more than $67,000 for their ten months work. Some, admittedly a few, earn as much as $90,000 for the ten months of work.

It appears that they are not satisfied with their very favourable pay package and want more money. In fact, in their argument for “pay parity” they want as much money as a civil servant takes 12 months to earn. In simple terms, they want two months worth more pay for doing nothing more than they are doing now. How could that be reasonable?

Teachers now have a fair deal and merit no more than an inflation-level salary adjusted. If they want more than inflation-level increases then they need to prepare themselves for working a longer year as civil servants and indeed other workers already do.

The other incomprehensible matter in this present debacle is that public school teachers apparently do not consider overseeing student examinations as a core teaching duty. What world are they living in?

OBSERVER

Sandys

Teachers deserve raise

May 20, 2004

Dear Sir,

Please allow me the use of your column to address the most recent teacher's industrial action. I am a parent of two children in the government system and my best friend is a teacher in the public system.

Some people may see it as the teachers holding the education system hostage with their industrial action, but I see it to the contrary. I feel it is the Ministry of Education who is in fact holding our children hostage with their shenanigans.

The Ministry of Education was bound to adhere to the rulings of the arbitration. They have disobeyed that. While I am concerned about how this impacts on my two children, it behoves me to ask how the Ministry of Education continues to disrespect the very people we entrust to take care of our children. What is also pathetic is that these people are former teachers. Where is their integrity?

As I have said my best friend is a teacher and I see how hard she works. Teachers should be compensated for what they do which in my opinion is immeasurable. The Ministry of Education knows this. It is no wonder there is such great flight out of the public system. You can't blame parents. If I had the money my children would be gone also. The Ministry of Education's continued disrespect of their teachers makes the public education system very unstable.

I hope there are more parents out there who are astute enough to see who the real problem is. Teachers have so much to put up with. I understand that and I am not even a teacher. As a parent, I let my children's teachers know I appreciate their hard work.

Hopefully, this situation will be resolved and our children can return to their original schedules. It is despicable how they have to suffer over something that should be a given. I support the teachers 100 percent. They deserve it and they deserve our support and respect.

PARENT

Warwick

Trash cans needed

May 20, 2004

Dear Sir,

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

It's that time of year again when the “ole town” displayed itself to our many visitors and as always the “Market Night” attracted scores of revellers enjoying the atmosphere in the Square but I must comment on the lack of waste cans and the need for those that were available to be emptied.

My wife and I noticed many folks looking for an empty trash can and having not much choices as to where they will “pitch in”. To add insult to injury them der sewages ver hummin ,again ... this, I had been led to believe had been rectified.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

St. George's

A welcome return

May 19, 2004

Dear Sir,

How refreshing to have Mr. Andrew Trimingham once more reviewing our art exhibitions for your paper.

During his absence I sorely missed his reviews.

MOLLY SMITH

Pembroke

Answer the question ...

May 7, 2004

Dear Sir,

What was so important about Dr. Brown's shoes that he risked the security that the US insists upon, before being allowed to board their planes?

Simplistically, did he take off his shoes when asked as we all have to do or did he not?

DIANA WILLIAMS

Pembroke