National

Public School System Short 7 Principals, Students Still Awaiting ID Cards

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Family Island schools face principal and teacher shortages, including the Samuel Guy Pinder All-Age School on Spanish Wells. The Ministry of Education is actively filling vacancies and finalizing student IDs, though union consultation and official commission letters have delayed some appointments.

Published

5 months ago

September 11, 2025

Our News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Education officials are working to fill leadership gaps in Family Island schools, including schools currently without principals.

Parents at the Samuel Guy Pinder All-Age School on Spanish Wells recently raised concerns on social media, reporting that the school, which serves nearly 200 students, has no principal and lacks teachers for grades one through three.

In response, the Ministry of Education says it is actively addressing staffing issues across schools. Education Director Dominique McCartney-Russell provided an update:

“We are interviewing for leadership positions and have seven principal vacancies we expect to fill very soon. We are also interviewing for senior masters and mistresses to address other staffing needs.”

Earlier this week, Bahamas Educators Managerial Union President Stephen McPhee criticized the Ministry for not consulting with the union. McCartney-Russell explained that while the commission has identified successful candidates, official letters have not yet been issued, delaying formal appointments.

Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin also noted that the ministry is finalizing student ID production, awaiting guidance on data protection requirements before rollout.