In some cases ABC Re. and other IBs will contribute sufficient funds to build a new class room (for about 20 -30 students), but the "condition" will be that they get say 5 places guaranteed.

The net result being that there are 15-25 additional places available for other students (including Bermudians)

When looked at in this way, it can be a good thing!!

Pitts Bay

I personally have no fight with IB!

However, I have been on the receiving end of this myself - despite registering my child from birth!

The whole system changed to stop that (early registration).....because there were not enough spaces that year for IB! Fact I know from sources in the school!

Many moved to one of the other private schools. but it was still not a good scene!

I accept the good that IB does....but no child should be left behind.....

Piglet

There are just not enough places at the decent schools and state education is just not an option for many.  I would never consider it but then I wouldn't consider any of the private schools here either.

What disturbs me most is that the state spends more on each state school place than the cost of a private school place so why isn't it offering a comparable service.  For a country as rich as Bermuda to have such a terrible results in it's state sector is just shameful.  Without a decent education it becomes very difficult to take advantage of the many opportunities Bermuda has to offer and poor performance also leads to the "Bermuda tax" phenomenon, where under-qualified, under-capable people are held in job that the cannot do in order to keep the numbers up for an ex-pat to get a work permit to do the job.  ost of us know a few of those and it does not help the reputation of Bermuda workers as a whole.

Education is the key but it takes years for improvements to start to show in the workplace.

Meantime government is set on implementing an affirmative action bill that will, of necessity, dumb down the system.

I think maybe... that is to say.. well I mean... it's not exactly... Oh gawd I knew this was going to be be difficult but I also knew that it had to happen one day - I have to disagree... well no disagree is too strong a word... I have to slightly correct a ten-inch tall cute pink squiggly thing all dressed up in a London Bobby's outfit - it's terribly unfair - purple hippos should pick on mammals their own size... bahhh!!...

Okay my pink piggly-wiggly pork-scratching-to-be... I think you may have just... slightly... misunderstood the situation... not that it's difficult to do from down there... No seriously though... There are basically two types of nurses - assistant or auxiliary nurses (untrained) and Registered ones ... although these days the various Nursing Councils around the world have removed the word "nurse" from the job title of anyone who is not specifically trained as a nurse over the various 3-5 year trainings that are available. Instead the untrained "assistants" (who actually do get some form of training in the basics of caring) are known, variously, as Support Workers, Ward Orderlies, Health Care Aides, Personal Support Workers etc. etc... anything that doesn't contain the word "Nurse."

Bog-standard Registered Nurses do a three (sometimes four) year training which sets them up to diploma level. The really masochistic Registered Nurses (like me) end up doing a five (sometimes six) year stint which takes them up to a degree (of insanity) level... It's these poor sods who can call the shots when it comes to travel opportunity. I remember when I started training (before they had invented electricity) someone told me "You'll never make it rich being a nurse - but you can travel the world" and it's pretty much correct. I know I did it. Like Reality said a few posts ago experienced Registered Nurses are pretty much in demand these days - even the Filipinos (who churn out thousands of them every quarter) can't satisfy the export market.

Alas Bermuda ermm... manages to screw the pooch virtually every time when it comes to importing their ex-pat nurses. Not particularly the BHB's HR department's fault - although they are nothing particular to write home about - but it's the delay caused by the Ministry of Labour granting work permits and the artificial hoops they invent for you to jump through... I applied back in late 1998 and got so fed up with waiting that I told them to forget it and went off to work for the Joint Armed Forces in Germany for a year or so. When I got back, suddenly the BHB wanted me - like yesterday... and yes that enforced extra wait in the immigration lounge of the airport is a right pisser and really did NOT endear me to the island right from the get-go (paying import tax on my electric razor & CD collection didn't help either.)

Funnily enough I went to Bermuda because I wanted to see the country - not because of the money - I'd heard it was worth a look. The money was nothing special - even before the US dollar took a nose dive... I mean you may be paid twice as much as in America but what's the point when a box of Special K costs $10 or one pokey old room in the King George nurses home costs $850 a month. To the contrary of the popular myth Bermudians do pay tax - it just gets deducted from your pay-packet under another name... and of course what doesn't go in (non) tax, food, gas or rent... well basically there wasn't that much left and certainly not enough to justify me staying in that awful all-pervading atmosphere of racism and only-slightly veiled threats.  It really is a "sellers" market for nurses and I knew I didn't have to put up with that sort of nonsense so despite the silly threats I packed up and went somewhere I was appreciated and welcomed...

Nowadays if my colleagues ask my advice about going to work in Bermuda I tell them "Nice island, shame about the people..."

But anyways back to the point... Bermuda has to employ RNs to run their wards - the Canadian Hospital Board wouldn't accredit either hospital without them. They may have HCAs or PSWs  but they couldn't train them as Nurses because they simply haven't got a school of nursing... So they have to go down the ex-pat road - but unfortunately for them Bermuda is getting a bad reputation in the UK and Canadian nursing press which are their main sources (if not only) sources for recruitment.


Well, to be honest, it's not just a problem that Bermuda is facing - it's a global shortage. Everybody's poaching nurses from each others countries. The majority of "baby-boomers" that made up the greater part of the nursing work-force for the last 30 years are now rapidly hurtling towards retirement age and (despite the Filipinos best efforts) the current generation don't seem to want to get into nursing like their predecessors did... Either way though Bermuda's going to find itself between a rock and a hard place with regards to keeping their hospitals running. Ex-pat nurses are not going to want to go through all that nonsense of racism, violence and uncertainty when there are other more attractive and hospitable countries welcoming them - they will vote with their feet and stay away in their droves...

But I could have told you that six years ago...


SevenT

Yup, it has to be - and it has to come up to a certain standard. If they've switched over to American or even UK accreditation then the standards are equally as high.



Never use them at work... the milk of human kindness tends to short out the CRT and make the keyboard sticky (or was that tigga's speciality....)


SevenT

Piggy PLEASE!!!!!!! Stop bragging.........Your comment is unwarrented and totally off base. Heavens man, the erection is over, it's tyme too 'lay low', be humble and relax.....................................jeesh........................

Gotta run...........feel a song 'cummin' on..............'those were the days mighy frain, we thought they'd never end' then eye had too go wee wee........................

Yoo lutt sumtin alz..........................gotta run........making beeefstew......Lutts ov tyme.....like ole Grover Lamb tawt mee. Detz rite.......................