In praising a government-sponsored summer programme, two Opposition MPs have renewed their call on the Bermuda Government to provide funding for an overhaul of the public education system.

Rolfe Commissiong, the Shadow Minister of Human Affairs, and Lovitta Foggo, the Shadow Minister of Education, urged the Government “to deploy the additional funding required for our public education system so that our young people will have the tools that they require in order to succeed” in meeting the global challenges posed by technological advances.

Mr Commissiong and Ms Foggo praised the Department of Education for partnering with Great4Learning and Ah! Tempo Performing Arts Academy to offer the Summer Steam Academy, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

The Progressive Labour Party politicians stated that work to create the Bermuda “we wish to see in the year 2025” must begin now with “investment in our young people”.

“We highly recommend to Bermudian parents that they encourage and facilitate the participation of their school age children in these worthwhile programmes, particularly with respect to those young children between the ages of seven and fourteen years of age,” they added.

They also pointed to other technology-based programmes, such as Code Tuna, the Hackathon Coding workshops, the Technology Leadership Forum and the Waterwise programme.

Mr Commissiong and Ms Foggo added that they are pleased to see their call to action “has resonated strongly with Bermudians across the country and in every sector”.

They referred to comments by Mike Charles, the secretary general of the Bermuda Union of Teachers, who told The Royal Gazette that the “public education system is severely lacking” in terms of technology.

They also echoed comments by Lew Simmons, the director of academics at the Department of Education, who said the educations system needs reforming and schools need to be properly equipped to offer an education to 21st-century standards.