In the Royal Gazette’s continuing series on the major issues confronting the electorate, Jonathan Bell looks at educationJust eight percent of students in the Island’s public schools received a C grade or above in GCSE maths.But the grades only tell part of the story of how education is faring in Bermuda today, according to Bermuda Education Network.“There is a tendency for people to say that the IGCSE results are abysmal,” BEN executive director Becky Ausenda said.“But we really need to see the performance data to see where the problem is arising. Introducing a new curriculum and a new set of exams is not easy. Anybody who is disappointed in the latest results needs to get feedback from the students.”The Cambridge Curriculum is now being implemented as part of an overhaul of Bermuda’s educational system.A registered charity and neutral stakeholder in local education, BEN has spent the past two years speaking to various parties in the public schools.Their big goal for the year ahead: to boost professional development by pooling resources with other groups to help the Island’s science and math teachers — subjects in which exam results show Bermuda students struggling.Ms Ausenda said the group is focused on providing teachers with professional development seminars and conferences.“I really want to emphasise the number of very dedicated people that we have in the public education system who are working extremely hard,” she said. “We don’t claim to have the solution; we just want to be part of the solution.“What’s very encouraging is that when we put on these workshops for teachers, we get an amazing response.”Just yesterday the group delivered a science workshop for more than 20 teachers from the Island’s public school system. The BEN is also to host a conference open to all the Island’s teachers on January 31 and February 1.Ms Ausenda said part of the problem, when it comes to teaching science was that many primary school teachers discovered their love of teaching through reading.“They don’t always enjoy maths,” she said. “Our big goal for this year is to get those teachers as excited for science and maths as they are for literacy.”The group has also been active in the field of providing internships for teenagers within the financial services field. Their Springboard programmes combine work shadow experience with math coaching.When it comes to the Cambridge Curriculum, she added, students may struggle with the wording of maths problems.“In the case of maths results, there could be a number of issues going on,” she explained. “We’ve heard that literacy impacts how well students do in maths tests. If they aren’t strong readers, it can cause them trouble. That’s an area of weakness for some students — they can’t do the Cambridge-style work problems.”Another facet of ongoing reforms has been the shuffling of staff within the public school system.At the start of the year, the Association of School Principals inveighed against the Ministry of Education’s intervention at Prospect Primary School, where a temporary executive principal was brought in to boost performance.The ASP accused Government of railroading through its reforms — but the Ministry stuck to its guns.As of November 7, however, the ASP had undertaken to merge with the Bermuda Public Services Union.Explained BPSU head Ed Ball: “The 26 members decertified the organisation and joined the BPSU. I think that the organisation has progressed to the point where they wanted to focus on education, and have another body negotiate their issues.“Right now it’s too early to say what their priorities are — we will take matters as they arise. Our hope is to have better communication between the Ministry of Education and the union on behalf of the principals. That’s our number one concern. The Association and the Bermuda Union of Teachers are working together for the betterment of Bermuda’s students.“That’s their mandate, and that’s what we’ll work with both parties to achieve.”Bermuda College, meanwhile, is engaged in a ten-year strategic plan along with a five-year academic plan.Noting the Island’s “unique economic quagmire”, College communications director Evelyn James-Barnett says now is the perfect time for the institution to show its value.The college is building partnerships in the UK and North America for teacher certification and new career offerings in the field of healthcare, and with overseas certification agencies in the legal, construction, applied science and culinary fields.A motorcycle engine maintenance and repair programme is planned, and the college hopes to meet local workforce shortfalls by further expanding its technical trades.Bermuda College recently began to work with high school principals to allow high-flying students to take college-level courses while still in high school.“An impressive number of public high school students will be enrolling into the Spring 2013 semester at Bermuda College,” Ms James-Barnett said.Other initiatives include:l expanded support services for students at risk for dropping out;l a more international Bermuda College campus, with cultural exchange for students to be introduced as early as autumn, 2013;l more courses, including online courses, to increase access to higher education.Useful websites:www.bercol.bm, www.ben.bm.