As children go back to school, we highlight the reflections from three prominent Bermudians about education and its importance in their lives in conjunction with the Always Learning campaign, which aims to encourage parents as the main “coaches” of their children.

David Burt, the Premier

As we embark on a new school year, the theme “Always Learning” is a fitting concept that all of us, students and parents, young people and adults, can relate to. This theme, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr, reminds us that learning is not limited to a classroom or a particular stage of life but is an ongoing journey throughout life.

This message is particularly important for parents whose children are preparing themselves for the new year, new challenges and new opportunities. Sometimes, as parents, we may feel uncertain about how to help our children, especially regarding their schoolwork. But remember, just as our children are learning, we, too, can always learn. Growth and education are lifelong pursuits, and it’s never too late to acquire new knowledge or skills.

Many resources are available for parents in Bermuda, and I encourage you to take full advantage of them. If you find yourself unsure of how to support your children or require support, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Government. We are here to assist and ensure that every parent has the tools they need to guide their children’s success.

The Government remains committed to investing in our public education system, ensuring that all students, regardless of their abilities, have the opportunity to succeed. Our goal is to equip all students with the tools not just for academic success but for lifelong learning, enabling them to become productive and engaged citizens.

As we reflect on Dr King's wisdom, we are reminded of the importance of perseverance and learning from both our triumphs and our mistakes. His message urges us all – students, parents, and community members – to continue striving for progress.

I encourage each of you to embrace the spirit of “Always Learning”. As we support our children’s growth, let us also be open to our own opportunities for learning.

Jarion Richardson, Opposition Leader

My life led me to a rocky crest, part of a line of brown hills, reaching out of the Moroccan desert. I was standing sentry while the platoon rested in a wadi about 200 yards away. The wadi was covered with a mesh which matched the colour of the desert and shaded the soldiers from the afternoon sun.

I watched the hill lines and horizons, a service standard SA-80 rifle strapped to my chest and a precious cigarette cupped in my hand. The heat was so unbearable, that you just accepted it and cooked in the uniform.

I was fully kitted out, indistinguishable from the British Army squaddies below. Like them, I was hungry, hot and thirsty – and we had weeks left out there in the desert.

Your school year is not unlike my time in the desert. You will come across things that you did not know before, will be difficult at times to understand and may not appear relevant to your life.

You will be asked to try hard and go forward. You may not do well in everything, and you may have to adjust how and when you study. And you may even feel like giving up.

I know that feeling. One night on a particularly long tab, or march, from one dusty brown unnamed place to another, I took a knee. I was hurting that night, more so than any other night.

I was bleeding from falling on all the rocks during the drills. Coming from the Bermuda Regiment (before we received the designation “Royal”), I was probably the fittest in my unit. But out here among professional soldiers … I was outclassed.

The Bergens, or packs, in which were stored everything you needed, weighed about 80lbs. It was heavy. And marching night after night on rocky desert ground had worn me down. I was hurting.

My mate, a wiry Irishman from the Royal Irish Regiment, took a knee beside. It was as clear to him as it was to me, that I was not going to be able to finish this tab. He said: “All right, Bermuda?” No matter which uniform I’ve been in or which unit, the name eventually goes from “Richardson” to “Bermuda”.

“How do you do it?” I asked him, between pants. My conscientious mind, intellectually curious and shaped by years of rational, logical education, could not figure out how these squaddies kept doing it. We’d been doing all this for weeks, and you’d think they didn’t notice. If they hurt, you couldn’t tell.

True to form, the casual Ian lit a cigarette and shrugged. He took two puffs and smiled at me. “This is what we do.”

It’s not that the hurt went away – it just wasn’t relevant any more. The “this” to which Ian was referring was not some casual, carefree, easy thing. It came about because of all the challenges my predecessors and I had to overcome to get me there.

I remembered all the things that made me proud. I remembered all the things I was looking forward to. And I remembered the family from which I came, and the family I knew I was going to build.

And I knew then that “giving up” wasn’t just taking a break, it wasn’t going to make things easier. Everything worth doing, knowing and being comes through focused effort, pushing back on adversity, and seeing clearly.

My desert experience is no different from the dozens of similar experiences you will have in life. Each one necessary, as it forms you into a person capable of incredible things. I hope you take “this” chance in this academic school year to push back against the nagging voice that says you can’t and proudly remind critics and cynics, that you’ve got “this”.

Glenn Fubler

This year marks the 75th anniversary of free primary education in Bermuda; a step forward in 1949. This was the only immediate outcome of the Gordon-led Petition Campaign for social progress. That success resulted from ordinary people exercising “agency”.

Let’s reflect on how today we can exercise “agency” in the Village, fostering the potential for upcoming generations and beyond.

I was born in November 1949, the youngest of three boys; six years younger than my brother Vaughn and eight years younger than Darrell. Vaughn has gifted hands; able to pull down engines, as a teen; while Darrell loved books and music; as we were raised in North Village. My dad attended only primary school, but developed an appreciation for reading, from Somerset Village.

My mum completed The Berkeley Institute, becoming one of the teachers trained locally by Victor Scott – addressing the classroom boom, resulting in that 1949 milestone. Her influence, along with family, schooling, AME Church, the Darrell family, North Village and Flatts neighbourhood, manifested my Village.

During my preschool years, I lived mainly at my granny’s in Flatts. I felt left out when my best-mate-cousin Gilbert Jr – at 4 – enrolled in Ms Peets’ nursery. However, that seeming setback broadened my appreciation for the Village; “home alone” with granny.

Elliott Primary was a foundational experience; notwithstanding its material deficits, there was a rich spirit on that campus, embraced by nature.

The lesson that seeming setbacks offer set-ups continues throughout my life journey.

I selected “Tech”, as my secondary school, but notwithstanding its wonderful male staff and culture, my limited dexterity led me to transfer to Berkeley. In retrospect I recognise that this diverse experience has served me well.

After completing Berkeley, in January 1967, I joined students from most other secondary schools to form the “new” Sixth Form Centre. That period of renaissance, locally and globally, saw Sixth Form implicitly addressing racial barriers.

The local political system was on the eve of a democratic breakthrough. Reading Malcolm X’s autobiography and other texts, inspired many of us to commit to the movement for social change. In that context, I signed up for four A-level subjects rather than the normal three.

After several months, carrying that extra load, I realised that I was in over my head. Receiving feedback from the Village, led to a Plan B; successfully receiving acceptance to various universities.

I dropped out of Sixth Form – a “setback” – and worked as a labourer for Augustus Construction which was expanding that campus. That temporary shift facilitated my learning from some wonderful fellow workers – JJ, Peaches, Sheldon and others.

That “setback” provided a “set-up” for me; strengthening my agency to commence university in September 1968 – reminded that I was Always Learning. Please be encouraged to do your part for yourself and the Village.