Dozens of concerned members of the Gilbert Institute community took to the roadside in Paget this morning to protest the school’s planned closure.

Parents and alumni joined forces with several politicians, including members of the One Bermuda Alliance, to call on the Ministry of Education to spare the primary school.

Protesters, including children, held signs with slogans such as “save our school” and “education over politics” as vehicles passed the Modern Mart supermarket on South Road during the morning rush hour.

The demonstration ended with Rayki Emery-Bascome, an independent candidate running in Paget East (Constituency 22), outlining his education policy for the area, where the primary school is situated.

Before the demonstration, Dawn Simmons, the chairwoman of the Progressive Labour Party, hit back against the OBA’s criticisms of education reforms, while Diallo Rabain, a PLP candidate and education minister, invited party members to join education discussions.

Gilbert Institute is one of several schools slated to close during the island’s sweeping education reform, which will see the creation of parish primary schools and signature trade schools while dissolving middle schools.

It was announced last December that the primary school would be turned into a seniors’ care facility — a pledge reiterated last week by David Burt, the Premier.

Ahead of the protest, a letter addressed to the Ministry of Education was shared with The Royal Gazette detailing the disappointment and concerns of parents.

The letter claimed that Mr Rabain, who returned today from medical leave, had failed to meet with parents to hear their views over the span of eight months.

It called for a halt on plans to close primary schools — echoed by the OBA, who called for an “immediate pause” on education reform policies.

Ben Smith, the OBA’s Deputy Leader and the Shadow Minister of Education, accused the Government of losing the trust of “parents, students and educators” over their “inconsistent stances”.

Scott Pearman, an OBA candidate for Constituency 22, said the Government should function only in a “caretaker” role rather than engaging in policy decisions in the wake of the dissolution of Parliament after the General Election was announced.

However, Dawn Simmons, the PLP’s chairwoman, said this was “a blatant misrepresentation of facts” given the Government’s announcement in the House of Assembly in December of its plans for Gilbert Institute.

She added: “The OBA’s inability to keep up with developments that are shared in the legislature raises serious concerns about their credibility.

“If it cannot keep track of key announcements made in the House, how can it be trusted to govern?”

Ms Simmons stood by the plans for education reform, explaining that it was necessary to ensure a brighter future for Bermuda’s children.

She also challenged the OBA to come up with education reform solutions to ease pressure on the cash-strapped “sandwich generation” demographic.

Ms Simmons said: “The PLP has heard Bermudians challenged with raising children while supporting their ageing parents and has a plan; the OBA has no plan and is content with sending false media statements that do not address the challenges Bermudians face.”

Photo gallery