MOE Welcomes New & Returning Educators for the Start of New Academic Year; Thirty-Seven New Caymanian Educators Recruited

By Stacey-Ann Anderson

The Ministry of Education on Friday (18 August) welcomed over 900 public school educators back for the 2023/2024 academic year.

“Today I extend a special welcome to our returning educators and the 137 new educators, of which 37 are newly qualified Caymanians, “remarked MOE Acting Chief Officer Ms. Lyneth Monteith as she delivered the official welcome remarks at the Annual Education Professionals Welcome held at the John Gray High School Gymnasium.

In welcoming the new Caymanian educators Director of Education Services, Mr Mark Ray, stated, ‘Welcome home to the place you have chosen to form the most important bonds of your life.”

He likewise thanked the returning educators for their continued service. “Your experience, expertise, insight, skills, talents, and most importantly, your love for our students are what we value the most. We thank you for returning and being here with us on this journey.”

Also, in attendance was Acting Governor, Hon Franz Manderson. He emphasised the importance of meeting the nation’s educational standards and encouraged all educators to strive for excellence in educating the youth.

Mr. Manderson stated, “We are going to put a lot of faith in you to deliver for our children and care for our children. We expect you to be parents, confidants, mothers, and fathers; the children are not coming to you perfectly but we rely on you to do your best every day to improve their lives and deliver high-quality, world-class education to our children.”

Specialist Math Teachers

In her remarks, Acting Premier and Education Minister, Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, announced the recruitment of 14 math specialist teachers for the 2023/2024 academic year.

Mrs. O’Connor-Connolly noted, “These 14 specialist math teachers are going into every primary school class, and they will be solely responsible for teaching math because that is their speciality, and we intend to see the next level of performance outputs greatly increase.”

She also expressed gratitude to the recruitment team for their relentless efforts in fulfilling the staffing requirements of the Ministry in a timely fashion.

New Digital Registration System

    Mrs. O’Connor-Connolly also used the opportunity to announce the introduction of a new digital registration software called “Sign In App in schools starting from the 2023/2024 academic year.

“We will be implementing this programme in all schools as child safety has to be first and foremost and of paramount consideration,” the Acting Premier remarked when referring to the software used to register attendees for Friday’s event.

She thanked the ICT team for their assistance in implementing the programme and encouraged educators to help promote a smooth rollout throughout the schools.

Proposed Salary Increases

The Acting Premier likewise recommended salary increases for several categories of educators, including assistant teachers, school leaders and their deputies, at the start of the 2024 calendar year.

Mrs. O’Connor-Connolly explained to the audience that the proposed salary increases were necessary because other categories of educators had already received salary increases in 2020.

She further stated, “It is time to complete that request for remuneration for educators.”

Also on the agenda was the Health Services Authority’s Dr. Delroy Jefferson, who delivered the keynote address. He underscored the importance of listening with patience and kindness in education. Dr. Jefferson urged educators to listen actively to improve their effectiveness. “Effective teachers don’t only listen with their ears but also with their eyes, considering non-verbal cues and facial expressions,” Dr. Jefferson remarked.

MoE Acting Deputy Chief Officer Mr. Adrian Jones gave closing remarks, and DES Deputy Director Mr. Elroy Bryan chaired the event.

Others in attendance at the event were House Speaker Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism & Social Development Ms. Heather Bodden, Minister for Home Affairs, Youth, Sport, Culture & Heritage, Hon. Bernie Bush, Minister for Border Control & Labour, Hon. Dwayne Seymour, Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Roy McTaggart, members of the Education Council and several MOE & DES representatives.

The annual Education Professionals’ event welcomes all new and returning Cayman Islands Government school educators and outlines some of the Ministry of Education’s plans for the upcoming school year.

To learn more about the latest education initiatives, visit www.gov.ky/education .