Name before shamingJune 11, 2002Dear Sir,In response to the publication of Auditor General Larry Dennis’s report on the Government’s finances (Royal Gazette, ZBM, ZFB TV & Radio), I wish to take this opportunity to inform our customers and the general public that Seahorses Bookmakers is not one of the two Bermuda betting houses which has accumulated betting tax arrears of $400,000 due Government.

Although most other countries with licensed gaming have abolished a direct tax on the individual, at 20 percent Bermuda imposes possibly the highest rate of betting tax in the world, a burden fully met by the customer. As bookmakers or agents accepting these bets, it is our legal obligation to remit our clients’ monies to the government. By failing to identify those companies not complying, Mr. Dennis casts an unwarranted and detrimental shroud of suspicion over the entire industry.

It is imperative to the integrity of our business that our customers are confident that the person who accepts their business is honourable, trustworthy and financially solvent.

Following the publication of the report, we continue to be approached by many of our clients enquiring, as is their right, if and how we have “misappropriated their tax payments”.

As Bermuda’s principal bookmaker, it is hardly surprising that our customers may assume we are one of the “two betting houses” to which Mr. Dennis refers. By failing to clarify the situation the report benefits those very companies who are in arrears and is particularly damaging to those who are not.

If the agenda of the Auditor General’s report really is to “name and shame”, he should indeed “name” otherwise he unfairly “shames” us all.

LEE BEAUCHAMP

Manager, Seahorses Bookmakers

Hamilton

Defining a home school?June 7, 2002 Dear Sir, Last year, I took my child out of school and started home schooling. I spent a lot of time searching for a programme that would be interesting and challenging, while allowing his interests to determine (to some extent) the material he studied. We found that programme (Laurel Springs School, out of California) and he did brilliantly. The materials were first rate and we had the guidance of a teacher available to us at all times via the phone and Internet. His work was always monitored and marked by the school. He is now in another school where he is a straight A student.

One of the things that surprised me was how many people asked me if I would home school their child, too! These were often people whose children were not doing well in a normal school environment and who needed special help. (I took my son out because he was not being challenged and he was bored). I explained to these parents that home school is to study in your own home — if you go to someone else’s house, where there are a bunch of other kids and one person in charge, then that is a school.

I totally agree that it should be regulated as such. I would even go so far as to say that if you are teaching any children other than your own (be it fewer than four), it is still not considered a home school environment. These small schools should have suitably qualified personnel and adequate facilities. All home school programmes should include ongoing access to professional educators — even if only for one child. One of the things the Government should be looking at is why are people putting their children in other people’s homes to learn, rather than sending them to school.

I also did home school for a year in Canada, when we lived in a remote area of B.C. There, one has to be registered with a recognised home school programme and most people use the one provided by the government, as we chose to do. You can only home school your own children. There are fairly strict guidelines for mailing work in and you are assigned your own home school instructor (our guy was super!). They visit your house twice in the school year to make sure that the home environment is one conducive to learning. They have very stringent monitoring guidelines. You cannot just say that you are going to do home school and then go off and do your own thing!

Few home school parents are qualified teachers (I am not) and need the guidance and support that professional educators can provide. It is nothing to do with invading one’s privacy. It is all about making sure that each child gets the best education possible. Canada provides their ‘long distance education’ courses, with all books and materials and teacher tuition, for free because they do not have to bear the cost of your child in school.

This may be something that Bermuda would consider — reimbursing the cost of educating a child in the public school system so that parents who want to home school can afford to enrol in a progressive, dynamic home school programme.

As for the programmes, I would have loved it if I could have spoken to someone here who had information about the many different options available. The ‘School of Tomorrow’ is a very basic (though really inexpensive) course of study. My son would have been bored to death with it after a very short time. There is very little room for individuality or creativity. (Having said that, if you are looking for a religious programme, there aren’t many that offer a pervasive religious content to the extent that the ‘School of Tomorrow’ does.) There are also many online courses available. Some, like Laurel Springs, offer both (my son did online “science enrichment”). If you feel you are using a programme that is worthy, then there should be no problem in having a government body scrutinise it and register it as a suitable course of home school tuition.

Every government of a developed country oversees and takes responsibility for the education of the children in their jurisdiction — by law you have to send your children to school. If you choose not to, then the alternative has to be one that provides an appropriate and suitable education for that child. This should mean that all home school programmes are registered and deemed to be acceptable, that all children are tested on a yearly basis to make sure they are at the appropriate level for their age (or above) and that they are answerable to an outside government body where the welfare of the child is involved.

Home school environments can be wonderful places to learn and have fun with your family but they can also be isolating for children and provide opportunities for abuse to go undetected. As a community, we should not allow this to happen and the only way to do this is by having guidelines and regulations for home school instruction and strictly enforcing them.

If you are providing your child with an excellent education, why would you object to someone witnessing this? home schooling takes a lot of patience and energy and, I have to say, a lot of love for your children.

It should not be somewhere you send your child because it is cheap and you want them out of the public school system and out of trouble.

AN EX-HOME SCHOOLER

Southampton

Where was the audience?June 10, 2002Dear Sir,On May 30 I had the privilege of attending ‘Sprung’, the Spring concert for CedarBridge Academy’s Dance, Drama and Music department. I have attended many dance recitals in the pass, including one just recently. However, none I have enjoyed as much as Sprung. The show was well performed. Hats off to Joanna Powell and all her students.

The drama portion of the show was a set of monologues delivered by some very talented teens. I do think they would better serve themselves by picking positive issues to deal with. But then I am sure we all know the poem “Children live what they learn”. Perhaps their choice of subjects is a direct reflection of the public’s attitude towards CedarBridge. The biggest negative of the evening was the poor attendance. Ruth Seaton James Auditorium should have been packed to capacity. Perhaps part of the problem was with insufficient advertising. I do wish this dance recital could be performed again to give you the inquiring public a chance to see the good things that are happening at CBA. I am sure many minds would be changed. I challenge the public to support Mrs. Richards and her staff in their efforts, by being more supportive of CBA. I am sure it will be a positive lesson learned.

A PARENT AND STRONG SUPPORTER

Sandys Parish <$>

Foaming at the bit is OKJune 2, 2002Dear Sir,In response to your article “Hope for overheated Horses”, the comment made by Sarah DeSilva that the horses were so hot that they were foaming at the mouth needs to be corrected.

It is a good thing as it is a sign that they are “playing” with their bit and they have a relaxed jaw which is what everyone hopes to achieve when riding or driving. But to be fair, I need to also point out that just because a horse is not foaming at the mouth does not mean his jaw is relaxed, only that he is not “playing” with the bit. Also seeing foam on a horse just means he is working up a good sweat and the foam comes from the harness lock rubbing against the horses body.

But she is right about everything else.

ERM

St. George’s

Some sound soundbitesMay 29, 2002Dear Sir,Please be so kind as to quote correctly two of the quotations in your issue of May 22, 2002.

“Men do less than they ought unless they do all that they can.”

“A politician thinks of the next election, a statesman of the next generation.”

The following quotations might be of interest.

“The head learns new things, but the heart forever practices old experiences.” (Henry Ward Beecher)

“The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” (William James)

“The world being what it is, full of error and incompetence, many things are opened by mistake, but none so much as the mouth.” (Carl Riblet)

“A Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in it’s worst state an intolerable one.” (Thomas Paine)

“Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.” (George Washington)

Finally I suspect in these times, the feminine gender, would, or should be, included in the last quotation.

NAIDUMREB

Devonshire <$>Put a stop to loud musicJune 13, 2002Dear Sir,As Dr. Ewart Brown is so keen to make new laws and to ram them on drivers of motor vehicles. I would be obliged if he would do the following, introduce a law that all residents must wear hearing protectors so that they do not have to listen to this loud, reverberating music that is being played from motor vehicles, especially those that have darkened windows.

Dr. Brown has even approved a darker tint so that these drivers and passengers can not be identified by Police or witnesses and can now carry on freely distributing their drug business and other illegal acts.

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Paget