Dismay and concern as reading programme head resigns
Head of Bermuda’s Reading Recovery programme and literacy advocate, Darnell Wynn has resigned from the post at the Ministry of Education after 32 years.Her departure leaves the post of Education Officer Reading Recovery Teacher Trainer vacant, amid concerns that the programme will be scratched.Ms Wynn, stepped down to assume another Government post as the new Senior Training Manager of Human Resources.However, Ministry sources say she was denied interviews for two internal positions in March and April this year, which spurred her resignation.The posts were both for Assistant Directors of Student Services and Early Childhood Education.One source said: “Bermudians are being denied opportunities in the top-heavy bureaucracy of the Education Ministry.”Established in 1997, the programme is designed to prevent children from falling behind in reading by identifying them early to address their issues.Ms Wynn took up the post in 1998 after training in New Zealand.The programme has an 85 percent success rate and cannot be run without a licensed teacher trainer. It will take at least a year to train another trainer.Whether the licence to operate will also be lost with her departure remains unknown, or whether the programme will continue.Asked if the programme will be scrapped, a Ministry source said: “It’s not definite. I don’t believe that it will be scratched, it will be revaluated.”Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said: “There would be concerns by parents because their children still have needs.“Each primary school may have an average of 30 to 40 students or more in the programme.“It’s not that we don’t have personnel, but those who will take up the mantle have not been identified.”He agreed that the whole issue of Bermudians being denied an interview mirrors concerns surrounding the appointment of the new American Commissioner of Education, Dr Edmond Heatley.“The bigger issue is the fact that they’re not using qualifications to bypass Bermudians, they’re using lack of experience for certain positions.“You don’t need a succession plan for people moving into middle-management positions when you can identify people who can be developed for that position.”Teachers and principals were informed of the resignation in an e-mail sent by Ms Wynn on August 29.She wrote: “With great anticipation for the future and sadness for the void that will be left behind in the Reading Recovery programme, I leave you ... as you consider what is worth fighting for our Bermuda students.“Thank you for the opportunity to work with our students and teachers over the years.“Please make the children the priority and see to it that they not only get a ‘service’ for their needs but a service that will ‘make a difference’ to their futures.”On hearing of her departure, one teacher replied: “The programme, under your leadership, has changed the lives of thousands of children.“Your leaving will leave a void in our education system that will be difficult to fill.“But I know that the teachers you have trained will continue the work that you have started with the same passion that you have ignited in them.”Another teacher said: “It is a sad day to see that you will no longer be a part of our education system.“I have always looked up to you and the manner in which you held yourself accountable for our children, not only in the aspect of reading but their self esteem.“You have fought vigorously for our children as well as teachers. You have shown me what it takes to be an excellent educator. You will forever be in my prayers.”Another teacher wrote: “It is indeed a sad day when one of the most recognised advocates for children is no longer at the Ministry of Education.“The news of the departure by Ms Wynn was very disturbing.“It is absolutely disgraceful that they would be looking overseas once again to appoint someone to a position in which she could have worked in.“For the past 15 years, Ms Wynn trained numerous teachers across the Island. To lose Ms Wynn is a travesty.“She held teachers to the highest of standards in delivering quality lessons to children who would have otherwise been relegated to a sentence of needing further support.“If not for reading recovery these little gems would have struggled unnecessarily. The programme which is offered in several countries around the world is a crucial component to strengthen early literacy practices.“Parents should be demanding that the programme not be lost. The question must be asked why are we not fighting to keep educators like Ms Wynn in the system.“I welcome a response from the new Commissioner on this misguided decision to allow Ms Wynn to leave.“Had he been appointed earlier, perhaps there would be no need for this story at this time.”A former educator, who also asked not to be named, said: “It’s abundantly clear the Ministry has no foresight or vision even to prepare a second person for this position.“When you consider the serious problems we have with boys, the fact that it’s our young black males being killed; it’s reprehensible.“The country itself has to wake up to that, now we’re going to suffer for it.”There was no response from the Ministry by press time.
A study measuring the literacy levels of Bermuda’s adult population between the age of 16 to 65 years was conducted for the first-time in 2003.
‘Literacy in Bermuda, A Study of Adult Literacy and Life Skills in Bermuda’, released by the Department of Statistics surveyed over 2,600 residents.
The report looked at literacy proficiency as it relates to “employment, training, education level, health status, and involvement in community activities among adults”.
The survey “showed direct relationships between literacy levels across Bermuda and the varying social and economic conditions that shape individuals”.
Among the highlights, people between the ages of 26 to 35 had the highest level of literacy proficiency than any other age group.
Women outperformed men in problem solving and prose but men performed better than women in numeracy.
There was no statistical difference between blacks and whites in skill sets with the exception of problem solving where whites performed better.
Respondents who earned $100,000 or more generally, but not always, performed better than those who earned less. And those with computers and access to the internet at home performed at a higher level than those who did not.
The survey found that one-third of black males aged 16 to 30 had poor literacy and life skills competence. And 91 percent of all adults who had six years or less of schooling were classified ‘at risk’.
As the level of education for the parents increased, the chance of the child being ‘at risk’ decreased across all domains. The largest group with poor literacy and life skills was unemployed.
The report was written by Cordell Riley of Profiles of Bermuda.
