From the Ministry of Education

Statement by the Ministry of Education Chief Officer, Mary Rodrigues, on the 2012 Behavioural Report

During the recent sitting of Finance Committee, questions were raised about an unpublished report on Behaviour, following a review in 2012. During the responses to questions in Finance Committee, and subsequent press coverage, the involvement of Mrs Favourita Blanchard, a former Senior Evaluator, was mentioned by the Chief Officer in response to the questions.

The Ministry of Education wishes to set the record straight that Mrs Favourita Blanchard did not unilaterally change the draft inspection report. Mrs Blanchard, the only employee in the inspections unit at the time, was instructed by the Chief Officer to liaise with the consultant on any editing to be made to the draft report, to ensure the report met the quality standards required of all inspection reports.

The Ministry can also confirm that Ms Blanchard did nothing wrong, and was only undertaking her duties as instructed by the Chief Officer. In all her time working with the Ministry, Ms Blanchard’s work was of the highest moral and ethical standards.

It is important to clarify that from the very outset it was the expectation that the consultant would engage with the local team throughout the drafting process, and that he actively sought the input of both Mrs Blanchard and the Chief Policy Adviser from the Ministry, who was assigned in an oversight capacity in the absence of a Chief Inspector.

The Chief Officer would also like to make clear that in no way is the credibility of the consultant being challenged, as he has many years of distinguished service and expertise, and his services were very much valued by the Ministry of Education.

See also related iNews Cayman stories:

Published June 25 2014 “Education Ministry (Amended) Statement on students and teachers ‘negative behaviours’ in Cayman’s schools” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/education-ministry-statement-on-students-and-teachers-negative-behaviours-in-caymans-schools/

Published June 25 2014 Editorial: “Damage Control” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/the-editor-speaks-damage-control/

From Editorial “Damage Control”

“For those not familiar with the story it was revealed at the Finance Committee there had been an independent behaviour report executed in 2012 and the version that was used for the Final Report, and the one officially recognised was not the only report. There had been an earlier one THAT HAD BEEN KEPT HIDDEN!

“In this day and age there is “No Hiding Place”. There is always a copy and East End MLA Arden McLean had a copy of it. Leader of the Opposition, McKeeva Bush knew about it. I am not sure the Education Minister, Tara Rivers, knew about it. Its discovery was very bad news for Rodrigues and company.

“This ‘secret’ report painted an even more damning picture that our education system was very ill and it wasn’t just the pupils that had the virus. So did the teachers.

“This first independent report said teachers were “negative, indifferent, dismissive and sarcastic towards students, including primary school children, even humiliating them”. They were also described as being “overly aggressive in their manner and failing to understand the learning needs of their students”. The report also said there were “significant disparities and inconsistencies in the quality of teaching throughout the local system and even, in some cases, within the same school”.

“Very little of this found its way into the second official report. Even the eight pages of recommendations in the first one were condensed to just a page and a half in the second one.

“A member of the ministry’s staff was said to have produced the second report with all the changes now making it NOT independent.”