UK wanted schools stopped
(CNS): The phasing and delay on the development of the country’s new high schools owes more to the negotiations with the UK and the three year budget plan than the government not being able to afford them, the education minister has said. Rolston Anglin revealed that during the negotiations on the three year plan, which enabled the government to increase borrowing this year, the UK was particularly interested in stopping the projects and had little sympathy, he said, for the Cayman government’s position. He said UK officials revealed school projects were being cancelled in Britain due to the need to cut public spending and they saw no reason why the Cayman projects should not be stopped as well.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly last week, the education minister said he could not go into too much detail about the financial situation with the schools because of the matters before the courts. He revealed, however, that London had wanted the projects frozen but that the phased approach was the compromise and it was not about affordability.
He added that government was committed to finishing them in a cost effective timely manner. Work has already restarted at the Clifton Hunter site, which is now expected to be completed by the end of this year, the minister said. In the meantime, things at the John Gray Campus had been organised in such a way that the country’s school children would not be disadvantaged, Anglin told the LA.
In a statement to his parliamentary colleagues, he did, however, talk at length about what he believed to be wrong with the design of the schools and said that the government had spent money re-engineering them. He criticised the modern concepts that underpinned the schools’ design, such as open space learning, and said some aspects of the design “defy logic and judgement” and that despite concerns from teachers the previous minister maintained those designs.
Anglin picked apart the idea that science and art could be taught at the same time in a large open space and pointed to the failure to provide for proper security because of a low fence, that there was no behaviour modification unit or provision for teaching home economics, despite a commercial kitchen.
“Open learning environments are a constant feature of the design of these schools,” he said. “These are schools without classrooms where different teachers and classes of students are in full view and hearing of one another.”
He saidnot only would it be very expensive but it was not agreed by all education experts that open learning, independent learning and small working groups were the best methods for all students and all subjects.
Work has begun to redesign the schools, he said, so art would not be taught alongside science, the 42’pickett fence planed for the perimeter of the school was to be replaced with a six-foot chain link fence and the CCTV would be relocated. He also said home economics and textiles would be taught in the schools in line with the UDP manifesto of providing vocational education.
The redesign inside has not provided for behaviour intervention areas, the minister stated, which was in line with his ministry’s national behaviour and discipline strategy that had reduced serious incidents and the need to suspend students by 60%. “By the end of October, 8 students were suspended in 2010 from Years 10 to 12 compared to 35 in 2009 and 51 in 2008,” he said. “This is not going soft on discipline but a focus on de-escalation, keeping the students in school rather than excluding them from all learning environments.”
Despite making some changes, the minister said it was not possible to deliver completely acoustically separate learning spaces as so much work has already been completed. Constrained from adding what he said were proper walls by fire codes and other regulations regarding air circulation, the ministry has introduced partitions.
He said the changes at the schools had been met with relief by those involved as they will not be “made to conform to a futuristic experiment where the form of the building wholly dictated its function,” he added as he continued to criticise his predecessor’s vision for change in education.
“Given the enormous burden that the building of these schools has placed on this and possibly future generations, anything short of embracing the new schools as beneficial to learning would be a national tragedy,” Anglin stated. He added that buildings don’t raise educational standards and that was why the ministry had relied upon the teachers, students and parents to guide the modifications.
Category: Headline News
As the planning and design consultant for these schools I can assure you that the current Minister has grossly misrepresented the facts. These schools were designed by a different, more forward-thinking administration with extensive community input. This administration is taking the easy way out which is to keep doing what has failed miserably for the children of Cayman Islands in the past. I hope the good citizens of Cayman will take the time to understand the history and facts behind the world class designs and not buy the propaganda they are being fed.
This is NOT an "open classroom" school design. It is a SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITY MODEL. The SLC Model has been successfully used across the globe — see fieldingnair.com and designshare.com for dozens of award-winning international examples. SLCs provide a variety of open and closed teaching and learning spaces to match the richer variety of teaching and learning experiences that a 21st Century education demands. Shame on the Minister and his education establishment for spending millions to build a 20th century school in the 21st century. This will deny Cayman kids the competitive advantage they need to be successful global citizens. Google me and you will get my contact details — call me if you want the real story. Prakash Nair President FNI
The UK can afford to stop school project in the vast country of Great Britain where there are thousands of schools!
Sorry, but for them now to stop us from having more classrooms to house our kids and improve our educational structure, just shows that the Foreign and Commonwealth Officer care nothing about our education! They want to keep us, this small island undereducated!
The schools are stopped.
Other than tendering, retendering, redesigning, finger pointing and press releasing, these projects havein effect been shut down for 14 months.
The lack of funds is the reason for the Rolston song and dance we have seen for over a year.
I wonder what all of those pro-colonialists are saying now? Do they really still believe the UK still has our best interests at heart, when they have so many problems of their own?
Let us not forget that it was America that pushed Britain to dismantle their empire at the end of World War II, and insisted upon the creation of the United Nations.
We need to plan now whether it is 25 years down the road so that we can be masters of our own destiny. One word of caution though, let us prepare and train diplomats from now for international relations, and I don’t mean most of the current crop of politicians who are sorely lacking in tact and diplomacy.
Hmmm let’s see how that private school can afford their $5m building. Charge $1000 per month/per student, charge a PTA fee, plus a fee for everything else. I know, I was one of the parents who paid. I’m not complaining though, I was satisfied with the quality of education delivered.
XXXX
IF our Govt. had really wanted a solution, they only needed to look just past the dump to a NEW well designed efficient school. Dart got it right with the International School and it did NOT cost a fortune, was not behind schedule, used eco-friendly design, and works well.
Oh, that would have been smart and cost efficient….something our politicians just cannot and will not do.
New buildings will not solve our 10% unemployment problem with unemployable young people and will not solve a bad education administration that has failed all of us without any repercussions!!!
I do not believe anything Rolston has said. Sorry nothing he has said seem believable. He can tell this story to a lot of people he knows and they will eat this. But he can not tell this to a lot of people that know him!
It is clear from the UDP doctrine, that education is not important. They have spent more time and money on matters that are far less important than education. Rolston and the Premiee both believe it is better to keep Caymanians poor and uneducated.
Aldin McLaughlin told the truth, he did not tell you what you wanted to hear only what you needed to know, that is the difference. We have more serious incidents in school now than ever before.However they are never reported in the press. I know so Rolston should stop telling half the story the way he wants to.
The UDP elected members need to stop making themselves look good, by making others look bad! This may satisfy and bring joy to the uneducated but not the honest hardworking intelligent person.
I’m thinking about starting my own party to run for government. If you graduated with more than 5 GSCE’s apply in writing to be my MLA’s. I only say this since the current leader of our country barely graduated high school (if at all) and i dont think, in the dire state of our country that we could do any worse. All jokes aside though young blood is needed to help get Cayman back on its feet. The current Premier’s time and chances have been and gone. All he has managed to do is fill his pocket with money and his people’s heads with false beliefs. Time to give it up Mac. Please. For all of us. And please…take the rest of your party with you.
Go Frank Go. Don’t ask Mac to step aside, ask the votes to puch him out next election. It’s the only way!
Hell, Frank. If I were allowed to vote, I’d vote for you!
CI$20 million dollars worth of CONCESSIONS that was given to Ritz Carlton could have paid for our CI$12 million dollar schools!!!!!!!
CI$66 million dollars worth of CONCESSIONS that the same GOVT is about to give to DR. SHETTY could significantly benefit the Cayman Islands in many ways.
We now find ourselve without monies to run our country.
We are we still hashing-out the small details???????
The problem lies in the GOVT the majority of Caymanians elected!!!!
Now you want the squandering of money to stop – CHANGE THE GOVT!!!
VOTE according to the mental educated capability and capacity rather than what hand-out or who you like or don’t like or for favors in your business or social status!!!
For the Country’s sake – ACT with INTELLIGENCE!!!!!!!
To the Idiot who said the UK doesn’t care about the Cayman Islands….If the UK didn’t care about the people of the Cayman Islands they wouldn’t have loaned the money that kept the government boat afloat. Your comment is stupid. You should thank your lucky stars. It is our burden to live with people like you on this rock.
CNS: The UK did not loan money to the Cayman Islands. They gave approval for the loan. See Bush gets UK OK to borrow
And ours to live with you. 🙂
Thanks CNS… that is how I like moderation of comments! You pick no sides, but to correct error. I wish you did so more often.
The loan is still a sovereign risk the UK needs to approve these debts as default would be negative for the UK and hence the UK is a practical guarantor of all the debts of its territory. If it was not for the UK being behind Cayman there is no way Cayman could borrow on capital markets at the rates it borrows at.
But CNS is still right! The UK did not loan money to the Cayman Islands! Sorry, they don’t care for our economy that much! They were RELUCTANTLY to give Cayman the approval for the loan. I really felt what they wanted after so much of their Corruption Probes on the island, was complete British Rule instead! But God spared us from having such a Dictator!
Naturally they were reluctant; in the midst of a global recession, they were being asked to accept yet more on behalf of the Cayman Islands — as the previous poster has already pointed out. If the UK had wanted to impose direct rule, they would have done so.
LOL! Rolston Anglin attributes the delay in the building of schools to negotiations
with the UK and not to affordability issues…. but if I remember clearly…. the negotiations were a result of our need to borrow because we couldn’t balance our budget- hence AFFORDABILITY ISSUES! I had to laugh when I read this…. its the best! Thank God he’s not the Minister for Finance!…. second thought…. I doubt it could get much worse than the character who has his backside planted there now! sigh………..
You just proved yourself smarter than Mr. Rolston Anglin who in my opinion is smarter than the current Minister of finance. Now if Cayman just had more smart people like you. I think it would do alright.
Really now? Did the UK really opposed to the building of the schools? or was it just 1 man’s opinion based on what was fed to him by the UDP? This UDP Party only had one item on their agenda and that was to tear down everything the PPM Started. I suppose they are seeking accolades for that beautiful Government Building on Elgin Avenue too. Just imagine how much money the consolidation of the various Government Departments will save future government’s? Just Imagine…. and so too will the schools Rolston, when you can get off your fat backside and get the jobs completed. Every infrastructure projects started and finished in recent times, were implimented and done by the PPM and its ALL for the Caymanians. Everything UDP does is for the rich foreigners. Go figure. Rolston……, you are going on 3 years in Office now, get on with the job and stop complaining about PPM. Yes, it may cost us at first, but if you are thinking long term, it will profit the Caymanians….remember them!!!
Any idiot knows that the projects should have been phased, done one at a time. Starting with Frank Sound, then West Bay, the George Town Primary School and finally returning to John Grey.
Had it been done that way, the PPM would likely still be in charge and the West Bay School might well be half done by now.
Had Alden not been so pig headed he probably would have pulled it off.
Had he spent any significant amount of time in a Public High School classroom recently, he would have likely concluded that the padded wall approach was a better option than the open learning one.
That said,Rolston is no better and the schools needed to be built, one way or another.
To bad Caymanian leadership is not smarter than any idiot. What does that say for those who voted them in? How about those that work for them? And of course those that think they are the smartest folks on Cayman?
What would be surprising to know is the actual financial lost in both schools due to mechanical, electrical and architectural installed but not functional, unfinished structures that are to be replaced/rebuilt and so on?
A financial analysis might reveal that it would be cheaper to start from scratch? Did somebody know how to use a calculator anymore?
The former Auditor General did and look where it got him. The new AG is not surprisingly silent on all matters of government financial mismanagement.
The UK don’t care about us and our school children so why even care what they think?
There is a common thread that runs through the UDP’s misgovernance-blame the UK……..status giveaways the UK made me do it…….gambling with the future of our children’s education…..the UK made me do it, the day will hopefully come when Cayman has a politician that takes responsibility for government’s actions.
Is it just me or does it seem that every time Caymanian Government does it their way its about as screwed up as it can get. This what has happened time and time again when instead of letting already experianced and professional (off island skill) They try to figure it out by themselves. They keep confusing doing it themselves with doing it right. But it is the Cayman way. Hope this is worth it for the Cayman people. As an expat it is painfull to watch but the good side is that Cayman will never be like many other places because smart businesses and smart people will not go there which means it should remain undeveloped for a long time. I like that.
Your comment is misinformed and deficient. The Cayman Islands have time and time again relied on outside expertise in all major decision-making, most of the time ignoring the advice given locally. This advice, in the present example was given by qualified expats in the ministry and department offices as well as at least 2 consultants, one on education delivery and one on the design of the schools. as far as I know, the architect of these schools is a company from overseas, and we all know that the original contractor was also from overseas. Your comment has no basis. The Caymanian people would be well served to consider doing it ‘their’ way, the result could not be any worse.
Your comment also reveals ignorance of where you are and the present state of the Cayman Islands. You have identified yourself as an expat, but then you say that ‘smart people ‘ will not go there; either you are here and have poor sentence structure, or you are not here and therefore are not an expat. I also hasten to point out that if you are here, and if your theory that smart people will not come to the Cayman Islands holds, then you have identified yourself as an idiot.
Regardless, the rate of development of this country has been impressive, though it has slowed in recent years as should have been expected. This country offers the same amenities and quality of life (if not better) as any other developed country. The fact that there is still green land does not convey the same ‘undeveloped’ status that I fear you are trying to imply with your last sentence. 🙂 The Cayman Islands will continue to develop, and smart people and businesses will continue to come here. And, like those that came before them, those smart people and smart businesses will not want to leave and will do and say anything they can to stay. One truth that cannot be denied is that we all fell in love with this place (for whatever reason) the moment we stepped off the plane, and we decided that we wanted it to be our home…. at least most of us.
I for one have actually done the unthinkable and developed relationships with Caymanians, learning their culture and understanding their point of view, while not relinquishing my view that I now have a small stake. I would advise you to do the same before making empty posts.
I see from your post that you are implying The blame for the over zealous (even in America) disign of the new(now old) schools and the built in cost of the project is perhaps not the fault of the misister but the qualified expats that came up with the designs with I’m now guessing no input or O K from said minister. I’m seeing a trend here but I digress.
I also (like you) have invested in Cayman with the idea of spending a good portion of my time there enjoying the water and the people. My Gripe is not with the people of the island but with the current and past abuse of the system that is the Government. I know first hand as I worked there fixing homes after the Hurrican and designed, and built a house for myself and saw how the system worked for a choosen few but not all the rest. Most of my Caymanian friends did not work in Government and payed the price along with the rest of us. This was my experiance and therefore my own small opinion. Not surprising that there would be many that belive my post was empty.
I am happy that this system is working for you.
How is it that a private school was able to construct a three storey building of about 24,000 SF to house 700 students in state of the art labs and IT for 5 million in one year yet the Government of the day had to spend tens of millions of dollars on badly designed and over sized schools which do not properly facilitate students and learning, in an isolated area where people have to be transported to and as yet are unfinished after two or so years. Just the usual Government bureaucracy, keeping people in jobs, needless squandering of public money and only a desire to personify personal egos. Each side is as bad as the other. Each wasting time and money, each blaming each other, each travelling down a road with no direction and each only looking for personal glorification and gain. Let the private sector do this kind of business and rent back and have Government stay out of development and capital expense. No wonder Cayman is bust and struggling to move forward. The schools could have been completed for a tenth of the cost, the children being educated and money saved in the Bank.
You are so right in so many ways. Only one thing I disagree with – "…and as yet are unfinished after two or so years." Itis actually approaching 4 years since they first broke ground on these monstrosities (going back to September 2007).
Let me attempt to give you at least a partial answer to what is a very relevant, practical and proven question.
When any government in the Cayman Islands gets elected, the individual politicians who form both these political parties, both PPM and UDP, make certain promises to their supporters.
Some of these supporters are very wealthy and influential people in the their own right, the ‘king makers’ if you like.
Alden McLaughlin and the PPM promised their supporters ‘state of the art’ schools with all the amenities, regardless of cost; after all, the government has an ‘open’ chequebook, until the true figure of the budget deficit became known and the projects had to be stopped for lack of funding that is.
A smaller, private operation does not have either the funds or political baggage that a political party carries with it so fiscal responsibility must rule the proceedings of any projects undertaken.
A smaller private school could be built on less funds with greater results because they have planned and budgeted properly for a project that they could afford that would serve its purpose, any additional benefits are a bonus….first orderof the day is a completed project under budget and on time.
Now which government have you ever known to function like that ?
It’s only Caymanians raping Caymanians. If those being raped won’t change the system, why should I care?
Read the above "Is it just me" comment and you can see that many agree with you. Its not just Cayman but many countries are facing the same problem when Government belives they are smarter and more effective then professionals and try time and time again to prove it. The working people of Cayman are doomed to watch as all their hard work tward making life better for their kids dissapear along with all the money that goes into the public( meaning only the governments) purse with no accountability.
There is a right way to do things (like building schools) and it happens all the time all over the world. But only when its done by those who know what they are doing.
I came up through the Government school system and I was so looking forward to giving my child that same experience. All this confusion creates uncertainty and worry amongst parents who want their children to have the best education possible. I have to seriously consider private school thanks to screw ups like these.
Schools in the UK are encountering severe cutbacks and have needs of their own so its only prudent for the UK government to cut back here if it is going to also have to do it in its own country. This whole project is a shambles. I’m so tired of reading about incompetent action after incompetent action at the hands of a bunch of morons. Seriously, I wish they’d all hurry up and get old and f off somewhere.
ANGRY
If there is any real truth to the claims made by Rolston Anglinm he has put his own political spin on the matter.
When his government went back to the UK for the approval for the borrowing of funds to complete these ‘white elephants’ the question that probably arose was cost and value for money.
With the UK having contingent liability for the debts of the Cayman Islands, meaning the UK is responsible for the debts of the Cayman Islands government if the CI government defaults on its debts, questions would obviously be raised concerning funds for these schools.
Rolston Anglin needs to look at the performance of his government and himself and quit hiding behind the UK government.
If the fools that approved these "high schools" in the first place hadn’t done so the budget might be in a better postion at the moment. These buildings were actually designed to be colleges by an architect in the United States. This is what happens when you send somebody to find plans for buildings that have absolutely no idea of the costruction trade. The amount of money that could have been saved by fully renovating the current schools would have been huge. I have no sympathy whatsoever. This is just the result of another mammoth bad judgement call!!
Yes and all the books and equipment that could have been bought with this huge amount of money.
yep… you mean the "fools," the PPM, which during their tenure accumulated expenses upon the country between the years 2005 to 2008
what a bunch of nonsense… typical caymanian politician ..always looking to blame someone else to try and cover up his own incomptence
The TRUTH as to how the UDP govt convinced the UK to allow additional borrowing as all to the DETRIMENT of our future eduacational progress.
For 16 to 20 years, Mckeeva and Rolston have been jumpin-up-n-down on their platform on the promise that they would be putting ‘Education’ first on their agenda. Check for yourselve, their Manifestos over these past electoral years and find where education falls within!!!
I’m sick and disgusted of Mckeeva rattin-n-ravin about his one pant and no shoes. I’m sick and disgusted of Rolston rattn-n-ravin about his education yet he fails to use it to the betterment of this country. It appears, and have appeared for the longest time that they have used the word ‘education’ at the expense of our children, today and for many future generations to come.
Who recked the contractual relationship between Tom Jones and the Govt and is now the cause and reason as to why Tom Jones now has the ‘govt’ in court? Well you heard what Rolston said…..read the article again……ignore the nonsense and blabbering, ignore the ‘open classroom called a kitchen’ that is implied that its the whole style of the classrooms thru-out the schools…..pay close attention to the agreement between the UDP govt and UK.
Let-me-tell-ya…….Our schools/education was once more used as a bargining tool to allow Mckeeva/UDP the ability to borrow money for his Fxxx’ing foolishness!!!!
Analyse it! What have these two individuals do over the past 16 to 20 years besides tear-down, obstruct, give-away the best of our country to foreign ownership, get involved in scandalous situations, cause lawsuits, talk out of both sides of their mouths, XXXX??????
Go figure!!!!!
Tell me, is it the UDP – or, is it your PPM / UDP government?
The continued irresponsible spending of all of our politicians over the past decades put us into this sad situation, period.
Hurricane Ivan should have taught us all to save for a rainy day, but still they spent and spent.
We have one of the worse illiteracy rates in the world and our education administration is completely inept and ineffective.
Until we wake up and realize that literacy, parents, and better educators are the key, we will continue to be lost.
Books not bricks……please
The end result, politicians have done more damage to Cayman than hurricanes.
Of course the UK would oppose this and educated Caymanian is a real problem in the big plan. My question is why did they let them start this project in the first place. PPM was playing UK labour’s game of putting us in debt.
I totally agree the school should be stopped, because Government cannot affodr it nor will they be able to maintain such a huge place. It is extreme. In an alternative I would suggest that the place be leased out ,or ask the Dart Foundation to assist with the completion. Negotiate with Dart, he can come up with a plan. Because it would be stupid to stop it and leave the half finished construction to rot.
sorry, but you have just turned down dart on the port and the dump….why should he bail out the schools?
I wonder if he has statistics on the number of children who are unable to spell, read and do simple mathematics. The basic skills that every individual needs to start to go places in life.
*Thinking* Maybe computers should be a mandatory class as this is also become a necessary skill, make each child have knowledge of Microsoft office.
Typical of the English politics!
When in the 60’s most of the teachers were from the UK in our High Schools, our Caymanian children education-wise didn’t really developed. I recall someone telling me how they use to keep the local students back by not teaching them what they needed to know. I don’t know how true that was, but anything is possible! To me, that is how you can control a country – Just get involved in the educational system and don’t teach their children – keep them uneducated.
01/18/2011-08:31
Your Crazy
There is history to what Anonymous said; however, the claims can be controversal
Show me, prove it. And anyway, am sure back then,just like now,you cant teach kids who dont want to learn. And that applies to anywhere in the World,and not to just kids either.
I am trying very hard to understand how on earth a British teacher, making peanuts teaching in local high schools, could possibly be part of an international conspiracy to keep Caymanians down. I am also confused about WHY they would care to do so. What on earth would a teacher have to gain by holding students back intentionally?
If you check the "development" of those educated in the Cayman Islands in the 50’s and 60’s you would find that they were far more developed and educated than those coming out of school here in the twenty-first century.
Think about the past members of government – civil servants as well as members of the legislature and executive council – consider the successful men and women that these islands produced. I don’t wish to call names but a lot of them are still very much and easily identifiable.
Stop this nonense about English teachers holding students back.
Yes, its called fiscal prudence. It means not spending money the Cayman Islands does not have.
These schools were always an absurd idea by a Minister who would not listen to logic. They were designed in Chicago using this open classroom idea. We all remember the nominated leader candidate saying that only “divine intervention” would stop him.
We all, both PPM, UDP and Independents, will be paying for this for many years to come. This was never a situation about “giving our children the best.” This was always just a silly, grandiose idea.
This is of course incorrect – all the initial dersign work was done in Cayman with education, teacher, and commuinty input – the detailed designs from this design work was done in Chicago – based on the work done in Cayman. However, I suppose facts are irrelevant to most writers here….