Abaco schools

[Gail from MA]

Hi
I've got a trip planned for June and have been enjoying looking at posts on this forum past and present.

The post about teacher qualifications got me wondering about schools in Abaco. Is there a school on Elbow Cay? How about the other cays? How many children are enrolled, and what is it like to be a teacher on a tiny island? What is student behavior like? I am a 2nd grade teacher in a medium sized Massachusetts town. The behavior isn't too bad but sometimes it seems like they are either too spoiled or they are fending for themselves at home.

Anyway, I' m just curious!

[riss]

If your on one of the out island, i bet the school teacher would be more then happy to have a visiting teacher drop in (with advanced notice). A few years ago my nephew was a drop in student for a few days while on Guana Cay, and LOVED it!!! We plan to do the same thing with our son next spring when we visit.

[abacopotcake]

On the outer cays (Green Turtle Cay, Guana Cay, Man O War and Elbow) there are public primary schools. Not sure of the enrollment of each. GTC has less than 80 students. After 6th grade the students attend secondary school on the main land of Abaco. There are 2 public secondary schools; one at Cooper's Town in the north and Marsh Harbour in the south. There are also 6 private schools in the Marsh Harbour area offering secondary education. These students ride a ferry to the mainland and then a bus to the school of their choice. There are also other public schools in the settlements on the mainland of Abaco. I think there are about 14 public primary or All Age schools in all of Abaco. (All age schools are on islands where the students are not able to travel to the mainland of Abaco every day.)
I think the students here are probably like you said..some too spoiled, some fending for themselves and some well balanced!

[Gail from MA]

Thank you for the interesting information about Abaco schools. I would certainly like to see the school on Elbow Cay; but I imagine the students will be out by the end of June, just like us, right? I see that "abacopotcake" is on Green Turtle Cay. Did you go to school there?
Thanks again to all!

[abacopotcake]

Yes I did attend school on GTC. That was before the Great Abaco Highway was paved, so it was an all age school! (I guess I am that old!!!!) Public schools get out on June 14th.

[Gail from MA]

Since I don't know when the highway was paved, your age is safe! Do island kids get bored? Or are they always outside doing stuff!

[Sandrairish7624]

Why don't you try to hook up with a primary school on Elbow Cay. I experienced a wonderful project with my kiddos in Texas in 2000 after Hurricane Floyd hit. e-mail me separately and I will tell you about it.
I know that Every Child Counts School in Marsh Harbor would like to hear from you. Lyn Major has done an outstanding job of putting this school together for the island special needs kids.
Just Google Every Child Counts, Abaco Bahamas and you will see what is going on.
We were on Elbow in July and the schools were closed for summer break.
It was an awesome place to be!
Sandra Irish Bridgeport, Texas
jjrssi@earthlink.net

[Wonkee]

A key diffrence is that Religious Education is required curicculum, and tested on the Comprehensive exams. A little Jesus goes a long way to curb behavior problems. I work in a school here in the states, and spent a little time at some of the Elementary schools in Abaco last summer...Big diffrence. I was always refered to as Mr. Craig or Mr. Wonkee at the Kindergarten. And always had Sir attached when an answer was given. The students are also a couple years younger on average for the grade levels. It shows how lax we have become on discipline here in the states.The Disipline in the Classrooms is quite a bit diffrent from The US they still have and impliment corpral punishment, a kid can still get a good ole fasioned spankin when needed. This does not mean that their is not the ocassional trouble maker, but for the most part the students have more respect, and are far more disciplined. For the most part Classroom managment was amazing..

[plantpirate]

Very interesting...it really makes you want to become a teacher in such a beautiful place.I love the way God is soooo mainstream in most of the Bahamians life.

[nancy mcdaniel]

good parenting. and ... disipline... one of my fellow, and beloved Bahamian teachers when I first washed up on these shores in 1995 called her tool of discipline "The Sweet and Juicy"... it was a ruler wrapped in several layers of duct-tape. It was in her top right-hand drawer... it was so foreign to me, coming from teaching in Virginia.. she never used it, but it was there... just in case. She is a beloved teacher in Cherokee now, Ms. Seymour. Ya gat ta stay one step in front of the kids... that's where the U.S. fails in educating our young-uns (the education system AND the parents).