Teachers were congratulated, and the media castigated, at a ceremony honouring World Teacher’s Day.Commending the Cambridge exam results announced this week for public schools students, Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) President Keisha Douglas told the crowd: “Even though there are a select few that continue to belittle public education and teachers, we are extremely proud that the results this year were quite favourable compared to the rest of the world despite what was reported in the media.”Ms Douglas added at the City Hall ceremony that she was still looking to see a headline of congratulation for students.Results for 350 public senior school students were released Monday, showing 54 percent taking a grade of C or above in the GCSE exams.A University of Cambridge International spokesperson said the Bermuda Government appeared to be setting a benchmark for the exams, based on measuring grades A through G, but declined to comment further.The exam grades run from an A* through to a G grade. C or higher grade counts as Level Two; below C is ranked a Level One.Most universities and colleges will ask for five GCSEs grades A* to C, as reported by The Royal Gazette.BUT general secretary Mike Charles said he had decided not to read his prepared speech after seeing the newspaper.“Instead of giving the plaudits to our teachers, they are looking for excuses to be negative,” he said.“We have been teachers, and normally it’s the system that is vilified,” he continued. “But, in so doing, you are vilifying the teachers.”He asked the media not to take “pot shots at us”.“We have this nonsense about a row,” Mr Charles said, telling the audience that a headline in The Royal Gazette said there was a row between the BUT and the Ministry of Education over IGCSE grades.Mr Charles added: “For the record, there is no row.”Turning to comparisons of Bermuda’s exam results with world figures, Mr Charles continued: “How do we compare? Compare to whom? To what? We all did not take the same tests, so how can we compare?”He reiterated Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith’s goal for Bermuda’s schools: “We want to be the best.”About 70 gathered before City Hall for World Teacher’s Day, which Dame Jennifer said was on a par with Mother’s Day.“Had UNESCO not thought of a World Teacher’s Day, we would have instigated one,” the Minister said.Along with speeches, prayer and thanks, Bermuda’s observance was celebrated with musical performances by students from Berkeley Institute and Prospect Primary.Teachers of the Year Tosha DeGraff and Shambalea Makeba Stowe urged: “Be the changes you want to see. Children don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”Asking: “Is it worth it?” Ms DeGraff answered her own question: “Absolutely. For to teach is to touch a life forever.”BUT member executive Shacolbi Basden, delivering the Union’s vote of thanks, said: “I am singing in my heart, because this is indeed an auspicious occasion.”She said that she has learned from experience that “we still have a lot of work to do, but we are on our way”.Useful website:www.cie.org.uk