Topic: Ministry of Education
Education chief appointed on permanent basis
Christen Suckoo has been appointed chief officer in the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs.
John Gray construction business case under way
The mistakes and cost overruns that marred the construction of Clifton Hunter High School will not be repeated as government looks to complete John Gray High School, a senior education official has vowed.
Chief Officer for the Ministry of Education Christen Suckoo said a careful planning and budgeting process is taking place before work resumes on John Gray High School.
Former minister defends role in schools projects
Former Education Minister Rolston Anglin has defended his role in the management of Cayman’s ill-fated high school construction projects, saying he walked into a “storm” when he took over the job.
East End school launches home reading program
East End Primary School has launched a home reading program that encourages children to embrace books and, organizers hope, will lay the foundation for young students to become lifelong readers.
Engaging our community in our schools
KPMG's suggested model of "Cayman Partnership Schools" provides the disruptive discontinuity that our long under-performing school system desperately requires.
Academy-style schools proposed for Cayman
Independent governing bodies made up of business leaders, parents and former students should be put in charge of Cayman’s schools, according to a consultant's report.
Public education: Cayman's most important test
The general tenor of the inspection reports on Cayman Islands government schools is not surprising — but it is scathing.
Poor teaching blamed for school failures
Inspectors were highly critical of teaching standards across Cayman’s schools in a series of damning reports that recommend substantial changes across the islands’ education system.
More than 100 primary students fall ill at school
More than 100 students at Red Bay Primary School fell ill after the school’s lunch period on Wednesday afternoon.
Deadline extended for labor and pensions bills feedback
The deadline has been extended by one month for the public to provide feedback on the proposed Labour Relations Bill and the National Pensions (Amendment Bill, 2015).
Education officials defend public schools inspection reports
Education officials have defended their decision to bring in a British inspection team to assess standards in Cayman’s schools.
School inspections: A welcome ‘first step’ toward improvement
Q. Why did the ministry have an independent U.K. consultant inspect Cayman’s schools? A. “Because it was the proper thing to do. That’s why.”
An argument FOR the Labour Relations Bill
An argument for the proposed Labour Relations Bill, 2015 submitted by George R. Ebanks.
School inspections highlight flaws
Inspection reports on all government schools show that standards are “simply not good enough” for the long term, says Education Minister Tara Rivers.
The costs of compliance: What will labor law require?
Cayman's businesses will have to spend time and money figuring out the latest rendition of government's employment requirements.
YMCA to run government after-school program
The YMCA of the Cayman Islands will run the Ministry of Education’s Extended After School Care Programme, which serves 1,500 children.
Young Caymanians embrace a sustainable future
Thirteen teenagers learned about sustainability and environmental issues thanks to United World Colleges.
Date set for annual Hedge Funds Care benefit
Hedge Funds Care Cayman will host its 11th annual 'Open Your Heart to the Children' benefit at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Nov. 21.
Orientation dates for public schools announced
Government has released the orientation dates for the 2015-16 school year.
Preschool closed by government solicits financial help to reopen
The owner of a preschool that was shut down by government says she hopes to raise more than $160,000 to get the building out of foreclosure and make the improvements required in order for it to reopen.
Brac library gets a face-lift
After 20 years of use, and through two hurricanes, Ivan and Paloma, the old carpet in the Cayman Brac public library has been replaced with new carpet tiles.
Ministry of Health passes audit for first time
The Ministry of Health for the first time received an unqualified opinion from the Office of the Auditor General on an audit, which covered the ministry’s 2012-2013 fiscal year.
Accused child abuser permitted to travel to Jamaica
A school aide, accused of indecently assaulting seven minor girls, received court permission to travel to Jamaica this week.
Primary school aide charged with indecent assault
A Bodden Town teenager who worked as special support aide in the Cayman Islands government school system faces 10 charges of indecent assault on minors.
A budget-busting boondoggle in school construction
The construction of three new high schools could have been a crowning achievement for the Cayman Islands. Instead, through reckless mismanagement, the government's largest capital project ever ventured has degenerated into a public sector economic disaster.
Audit finds schools projects overran by $25 million, former education minister interfered
A new Auditor General's report says the Ministry of Education wasted more than $25 million and violated the Public Management and Finance Law with the 2009 to 2013 building projects.
The 'sanitized' schools report: Mystery solved
Mary Rodrigues, then chief officer of the Ministry of Education, ordered her staff members to rewrite a highly critical report on behavior in Cayman Islands government schools, according to emails the ministry fought to withhold from public view.
Inspectors return home after arsenic tests, will return later
International health and environment inspectors have returned to their Jamaica headquarters after testing several people and taking both ground and water samples in efforts to assess local arsenic contamination in Frank Sound.
Education chief ordered report changes
A highly critical report of behavior management in Cayman’s schools was extensively cut at the request of the chief officer in the Ministry of Education, emails released under the Freedom of Information Law suggest.
Testing under way for arsenic poisoning
Two health and science teams arrived in Cayman on Wednesday to test at least two dozen people in the Frank Sound area for arsenic poisoning and measure ground and water contamination.
Caymanian seafaring way of life declining
Caymanians made their living from the sea but we might soon be saying “good bye” to the last generation of seafarers and the seafaring way of life.
PE teachers get professional development workout
Fourteen physical education teachers from public and private primary schools under their PE training last week.
Lighthouse students make the grade
Nine students were honored at Lighthouse School on Tuesday in a graduating ceremony.
Public invited to Education Bill meetings
A series of meetings will be held over the next two weeks in which members of the public are being invited to give feedback on a proposed Education Bill.
Finance Committee debate: School access and the Bill of Rights
Questions were raised during a Finance Committee hearing on the country’s education budget about whether policies that prevent the children of foreign workers from accessing free schooling in the public education system were incompatible with the Bill of Rights.
Problems at Lighthouse School
Staff at the Lighthouse special needs school were sent for “sensitivity training” after it emerged they had engaged in a game of impersonating their students.
Teen arrested over imitation firearm on school bus
A 15-year-old student at John Gray High School has been arrested for alleged possession of an imitation firearm, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has confirmed.
Government training program ups age limit
Five graduates have secured employment from participating in the Passport2Success program.
Construction on unfinished school could resume in December
Officials are still doing administrative “groundwork” to restart the unfinished John Gray High School building project.
Archer: Cayman's financial 'freedom' still needs work
The Cayman Islands may indeed emerge from the end of its 2015/16 budget without the United Kingdom needing to approve future government spending plans, Finance Minister Marco Archer confirmed Friday.
New deputy principal named at John Gray
Ministry of Education officials announce long-time John Gray teacher and administrator as the new deputy principal.
Preschools closed in new push for standards
Two Cayman Islands pre-schools have been shut down as a result of new measures aimed at raising standards in early childhood care and education center.
Children's arts festival begins
Children's arts festival begins.
Commonwealth essay winners celebrated
Twenty-eight primary and high school students who won prizes in the Royal Commonwealth Society 2014 essay competition were presented with awards at Government House last week.
Gov't committee calls for $6 minimum wage
A committee recommends setting a national minimum wage at $6 a hour.
Registration for public schools open
Registration for places at government reception classes, primary and secondary schools is now open.
Smart boards taking education to the future
The days of chalk and blackboards are long gone in the Cayman Islands as education officials embrace increasing use of technology in the classroom.
School choirs sing their hearts out
The Clifton Hunter High School Senior Choir won the overall prize at the Lions Club of Grand Cayman all-island Youth Choir Competition.
Clifton Hunter needs 'remediation' work
Three years after the $110 million Clifton Hunter High School was built, the Ministry of Education has put out a tender for construction and remediation work at the site.
Kids' books donated to libraries, schools
Dart has donated US$17,500 worth of children's books to Cayman's public libraries and schools.
New education chief announced
John Gray High School Principal Lyneth Monteith will take over as head of the Department of Education Services from Shirley Wahler who is stepping down after seven years in the position.
Electrical arc caused fire in gov't building
Almost 900 employees were evacuated from the five-story Government Administration Building in the heart of Grand Cayman’s financial capital, George Town, on Friday morning.
Health City: Incubator for rewarding careers
Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Mason (stated ambitions: college, medical school, cardiac surgery) just may represent the fulfillment of Dr. Devi Shetty's vision for Health City Cayman Islands.
Education chief moving to St. Helena
Chief Education Officer Shirley Wahler plans to leave the post after more than seven years at the helm of the islands' public school system.
2014 Year in Review
A month-by-month review of the Cayman Islands' top new stories in 2014.
Donations sought for Evans family holiday
A small group of people is trying to help make the holiday a little brighter for the children of missing landfill worker Anna Evans.
Business in brief
A roundup of local business briefs.
Passport 2 Success graduates 20 young Caymanians
Twenty young Caymanians have graduated from the most recent Passport 2 Success program.
‘Three Rs’ of schools inspection: Review, report, release
The announcement of a comprehensive inspection of Cayman Islands schools is cause for cautious optimism.
Don’t miss the magic of Gimistory
The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival, better known as "Gimistory," is sure to entertain audiences, young and old, when it begins Nov. 29.
Cayman’s schools under the microscope
Government is spending almost $300,000 on a pair of reviews that will look at the quality of teaching and leadership in all Cayman Islands schools and evaluate the overall standard of the education system.
Credit card expenses published, hard to find
Government ministries comply - in varying degrees - with directives to proactively release credit card statements.
Hedge Funds Care helps fight child abuse
For the 10th year, members of Cayman’s hedge fund and financial services communities will show their generosity at the “Open Your Heart for Children Benefit” on Nov. 29 at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
Gov’t credit card defrauded of $6,800
Premier Alden McLaughlin says his old government credit card number was apparently used by fraudsters.
Ministry of Education: Way over the limit on credit cards
If the saga surrounding the trial and acquittal of former Premier McKeeva Bush has taught us anything, it's the menagerie of approaches that Cayman Islands public officials have taken in regard to using government credit cards for personal purchases.
Ministry digs in heels on expense records
More excuses are presented as to why the Ministry of Education cannot release its credit card statements.
Cayman school kids’ book ending to aid Kenyan school
Prospect Primary School students took part in creating a children's fictional book to help build a school in Kenya.
Labor, pensions enforcement gets boost
Cayman's labor and pensions enforcement is about to ramp up.
First capping ceremony for UCCI nursing students
Eleven sophomore students from the University College of the Cayman Islands School of Nursing have received their nurses caps.
Chamber: Civil servants shouldn’t lead downsizing effort
Cayman business leaders urge government not to put civil servants in charge of their own downsizing efforts.
A summer of reading for Cayman kids
Public Library summer readin gprogram continues to grow and help Cyaman children to become strong readers, This year's challange was a grand success say Director of Public Library Services Romana Melody
Cayman’s pannists thrive
Earl La Pierre leads Cayman's panners to victory in Toronto as part of the Afropan band, and also receives recognition in the nearby city of Barrie.
