Topic: Education
Student ‘overjoyed’ to be attending Princeton
Eighteen-year-old Ethan Whittaker will be packing his bags soon to attend Princeton University, one of eight Ivy League schools in the United States.
In Cayman, 9% don’t have A/C, and other facts at a glance
Cayman Islands government agencies collect all sorts of data every day, publishing much of it across more than a dozen websites.
Will: The travesty of teacher tenure
California school districts are forced to adopt what is called the “dance of the lemons,” whereby grossly ineffective teachers are shuffled from school to school.
Students attend Youth Crime Prevention Day
Shortly before taking their summer break this year, hundreds of high school students learned about the consequences of making bad life choices during Youth Crime Prevention Day.
Will: The sobering evidence of social science
Coleman documented how schools are reflections of, rather than cures for, the failure of families to function as the primary transmitters of social capital.
Breaking down the budget
Government’s budget priorities for the year ahead include increased funding for schools, modest pay raises for civil servants, and more money for the country’s financial regulator and for public health to fight diseases such as the Zika virus.
Few EY report ‘priorities’ under way
Recommendations from a September 2014 government consultant’s report by the Ernst & Young accounting firm have been pared down to 57 areas which the civil service intends to “progress,” according to a report released last week.
EDITORIAL – Standing with the parents at Savannah Primary
Savannah Primary School has an aspirational logo that includes an inspirational message: “THE BEST ALWAYS.”
Drama emerges over school’s exam error
“Oh! it is absurd to have a hard-and-fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn’t.”
Business plan for new Sunrise Centre under way
Plans are under way to create a new and improved Sunrise Adult Training Centre, with a committee being formed to work on an outline business case for the project.
Lawmakers to consider new education legislation
A comprehensive update of outdated legislation underpinning the territory’s education system goes to the Legislative Assembly for debate this month.
Legislative bills: Major legislative changes proposed
A raft of significant legislation – dealing with everything from the protection of personal records, to public officials’ disclosure requirements, to private sector pensions rules – will be addressed in the Legislative Assembly at its April 25 meeting.
Cayman celebrates ‘Week of the Young Child’
To mark the international “Week of the Young Child” starting this weekend, the Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association is hosting a conference Saturday followed by a full week of activities focused on preschool-age learning.
EDITORIAL – When 98 percent of NWDA clients are ‘not work ready’ …
The prospects of employment for the out-of-work Caymanian population are (pick your own description) “not pretty,” “challenging” or “grim.”
Investment summit speakers donate signed books
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, notorious hacker-turned-computer-security-consultant Kevin Mitnick and other headline speakers from this year’s Cayman Alternative Investment Summit donated 160 autographed copies of their books.
Government school registration opens
Registration for students enrolling in or transferring to government schools for the 2016-2017 school year opens Tuesday and will close on June 24.
EDITORIAL – Three bright lights in Cayman schools
Amid the general darkness that lingers over our country’s educational system, we are able to point to many individual points of light — both students and teachers. In this editorial, we will single out three Cayman Islands educators.
John Gray principal’s passion: ‘turning lives around’
Three weeks after taking up one of the most challenging and important jobs in the Cayman Islands, the new principal of John Gray High School sees plenty of reasons for hope.
PIN students bake their way to better math skills
Youngsters baked their way to better math skills during a recent after-school program.
New principal for John Gray High School
British educator Jonathan Clark has taken over as the principal of Grand Cayman’s John Gray High School.
EDITORIAL – New leadership at John Gray: A matter of principal
The government's "official" announcement of one of the most significant developments in Cayman Islands education to occur in many months was delivered via a photo on Facebook, accompanied by a seven-word caption — including one spelling error.
40 students graduate from ICCI
Forty students from the International College of the Cayman Island received degrees at a commencement ceremony at the Westin Casuarina Resort on Feb. 4.
EDITORIAL – The real crime at the new John Gray
Stealing from a school is a near equivalent to robbing the poor box at a church. In other words, schools should be hallowed ground.
Post: Detroit’s unacceptable schools
Children who go to school in Detroit face conditions that are inexcusable. The entire system, not just the physical plant, is in need of drastic overhaul.
Literacy Week brings out creativity
The Sir John A. Cumber Primary IB World School celebrated Literacy Week from Jan. 26 – 29, under the guidance of literacy coach Giselle Elias and library skills teacher Annette Vaughan.
Cayman International School upgrades and expands
The Cayman International School is marking the recent completion of the second planned phase of adding new classrooms and fixtures. A press release states that with a growing student body now surpassing 580, the school was in need of more functional space.
New Chamber boss sees changing times ahead
Paul Pearson came to the Cayman Islands to manage the Hard Rock Café and ended up running his own development company. Now, as he takes over as president of the Chamber of Commerce, he believes those two industries, hospitality and construction, are becoming more vital than ever to Cayman’s future.
Commission considers legal, policy moves to address bullying
A new issue paper from the Law Reform Commission shines the spotlight on the age-old issue of bullying and new problems with online cyberbullying.
50 years ago: A call for better parenting
In the Jan. 26, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Arthur Hunter wrote: “During the course of last week four children were expelled from the Cayman Secondary Grammar School for conduct unbecoming schoolchildren."
Baroness Benjamin to be ICCI commencement speaker
A member of the House of Lords who is also a broadcaster, actress and advocate for children’s welfare will be the speaker at the...
Passport2Success program aims to help fight unemployment
Since Premier Alden McLaughlin called out the “unacceptably high rate” of Caymanian unemployment in his New Year’s message, leaders have been trying to come...
Forging community connections at GTPS
PwC volunteers and George Town Primary students joined for an afternoon of fun on Jan. 5. Breaking out the sidewalk chalk, basketballs and soccer...
George Town parents are Partners in Print
A series of parent workshops focused on developing literacy skills in Year 1 children at George Town Primary launched on Jan. 12.
With support from...
Cancer Society urges community to Stride
The Stride Against Cancer on Jan. 31, the walk/run of varying distances in four locales in the Cayman Islands, is one of the biggest fundraising events for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, and organizers are urging participants to come out and support the cause.
Law firm staff help raise $10,000 for local charities
Employees at Conyers, Dill and Pearman have donated $10,000 to charity through the law firm’s employee of the quarter program.
Cayman’s tomato crop struggling
Tomato farmers are reporting that this year’s crop is failing to produce any fruit.
Scholarships available
The Ministry of Education and the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands have announced that there are tertiary scholarships available.
Caymanian hired to manage operations at Cayman’s YMCA
YMCA Cayman has hired Caymanian Gillian Roffey as its director of operations.
ICCI business programs may get international accreditation
The International College of the Cayman Islands has taken the first step towards getting its business programs accredited internationally.
Young parents in East End concerned over lack of jobs
Some young parents in East End are speaking out about the difficulties they have in finding jobs.
Cayman Brac’s oldest resident laid to rest
Myrtle Jane Brown, Cayman Brac’s oldest resident, passed away on Dec. 15, 2015. She was 101.
Premier’s New Year’s message 2016
Fellow Caymanians, residents and guests; Happy New Year.
Book donations embrace bilingualism
Three primary schools recieved a total of $2,600 worth of new books thanks to Rotary Sunrise.
How to address unemployment (Hint: Education)
Cayman’s unemployment problem is not the result of anti-Caymanian employers. It is a symptom of an underlying condition among large segments of our society.
A month-by-month roundup of Cayman’s 2015 news stories
Top stories of 2015 in the Cayman Islands
At year’s end: Future paths, old obstacles
As 2015 draws to a close, the Compass Editorial Board looks at some of the obstacles facing Cayman, a number of which can be turned into opportunities for advancement and improvement.
Top stories of 2015: The year of the report
The theme for government in 2015 may well have been “The Year of the
Report.” Ministers and civil servants have been going through a yearlong
review of the EY Report, which calls for numerous government reforms.
Editorial Year in Review Economic prosperity, education
Compass editorials in 2015 on economic prosperity and education.
Three-year grant for Little Cayman research center
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute has received a three-year grant from the Dart Foundation to support programs at its Little Cayman research center.
Cayman business in brief
Record year for Cayman Captive Forum; C and W Business named company of the year; LDM Global appoints director for the Caribbean; Students receive $4,100 scholarship grant
Ironwood commits to hiring locals
The developers behind the planned Ironwood golf resort have committed to a target of hiring a workforce of mostly Caymanian employees as part of a duty concessions agreement with government.
Family fun at National Gallery
The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands hosted a Family Day on Saturday, where children of all ages participated in free art activities based on the exhibition “Now and Then – A Photographic Journey Through Time.”
Shell shock over turtle-riding scheme
After six months working as the head animal trainer at the Cayman Turtle Farm, Amy Souster quit because of the conditions in which turtles and other animals were kept at the West Bay tourist attraction, she said.
The big project the Turtle Farm wanted her to work on, which she said she learned about after arriving on island, was a scheme to train turtles to give tourists rides in the water.
'Tax-onomy': Our potholes and pitfalls
Cayman's image as a "low-tax" or even "tax-free" jurisdiction has been most useful as a marketing tool. Unfortunately, it's not entirely true.
Beachside trash yields treasure – and then some
The GREEN team organized a high schol beach cleanup on 21 November.
Jingle Bell Run brings a different kind of Christmas cheer
More than 300 walkers, runners and volunteers came out for some Christmas fun and exercise for a good cause at the 13th annual Cayman Islands Crisis Centre Jingle Bell Run.
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Walk!
Get your Santa hat on and join in the Jingle Bell Walk/Run this Sunday at the Holiday Inn Resort.
Cayman to host One Young World leaders in 2016
The Cayman Islands will host hundreds of young world leaders next year at a special international summit on the topic of sustainable finance.
Spectacular homes net design awards
A spectacular contemporary home on the waterfront in Rum Point and a tranquil beach house nestled among sea grape trees in Little Cayman share the 2015 Governor’s Award for design and construction excellence.
Despite their contrasting styles, both homes impressed the judges at the biennial awards ceremony because of their harmony with the surrounding natural environment.
Cayman business in brief
Cable and Wireless and Manchester United team up; Travers Thorp Alberga merges with Orion Law; The Banker names Butterfield ‘Bank of the Year’; PwC moves to Camana Bay
Kane Cayman sponsors students
Independent insurance management company Kane (Cayman) Ltd. recently donated $40,000 to the Educational Scholarship Foundation of the Insurance Managers Association of Cayman.
Christmas wishes: Keep it kind, Cayman Islands
Our elected statesmen would do well to draw inspiration from the sounds of Christmas, and utilize the feelings of goodwill and politeness to temper their political discourse.
Clifton Hunter value: $69.2 million
The Cayman Islands government lost $41.6 million on the construction of Clifton Hunter High School between the date the school opened and the time a valuation of the North Side property was completed in May 2013.
Sunrise Christmas Concert brings community together
It was once again standing room only at the Sunrise Adult Training Centre’s annual Christmas concert at the John Gray Memorial Church hall in West Bay Church, one of the organization’s long-standing community partners.
Healthy eating and reading skills on the menu for students
George Town Primary has been the scene of a number of special events and educational presentations for students in past weeks.
Animal tethering practices in Cayman questioned
Roni Wildoner was traveling along the eastern coast of Grand Cayman in October when she spotted a bull tethered on the side of the road near Breakers. She investigated and found that the animal was tangled in his rope. A plastic makeshift water trough, with jagged, sharp edges, was empty, save for a handful of leaves. Tethering animals on the side of the road is a traditional practice in Cayman, but some say it's time for the tradition to end.
Brac center for disabled adults faces funding shortfall
Before Harmony Learning Centre was founded in March 2011, there was no place in Cayman Brac where disabled adults could go to learn life skills – or even just participate in fun activities.
Jet-setting student flies to school
For most kids, getting to school is simply a matter of hopping on a bus. Mathieu Pothier is not “most kids.” To get to school, the 10-year-old has to spend a lot of time on airplanes.
St. Ignatius students excel in inter-schools debates
High school students Naomi Harris and Finley McDougall from St. Ignatius Catholic School won the inaugural Conyers Inter-Schools Debate Tournament last week in a tightly contested event.
At the Compass, we don't practice 'gotcha' journalism
It is never our intent to misrepresent the statements or positions of the people we cover. We don't engage in, and won't stand for, "gotcha" journalism.
Connolly cannot get backing for ban on handouts
Independent legislator Winston Connolly has voiced his disappointment at the failure of his colleagues to support his calls for an end to the practice of politicians giving handouts to constituents.
Eden's Progressives departure sets off political uproar
The departure of long-serving Bodden Town MLA Anthony Eden from the Progressives-led government last week sparked a behind-the-scenes political scramble and was viewed by some Cayman politics insiders as a potential foreshadowing of others leaving the Progressives party.
Mr. Eden said he would sit on the other side of the Legislative Assembly when the House next meets in the new year.
