![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776210978_216_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Bermuda Union of Teachers (Image supplied)<\/p>\n
Teachers need more resources to help them to deal with students who are facing greater mental health challenges than ever before, according to their union.<\/p>\n
The Bermuda Union of Teachers said in a statement on Sunday that Bermuda \u201cschools are under resourced for the needs we are being asked to meet\u201d.<\/p>\n
A spokesman said teachers are expected to cope with more students experiencing greater mental health challenges including trauma, anxiety and aggression, in some cases with fewer resources.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Education yesterday issued a response acknowledging the concerns raised by educators but insisting that the Government was taking informed action.<\/p>\n
The BUT spokesman said: \u201cEvery day, educators and support staff across the Bermuda public school system walk into classrooms where student needs are more complex than they have ever been.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not speculation or exaggeration \u2014 it is the consistent testimony of professionals with decades of experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeachers with 20, 30, even 40 years in the system are saying the same thing, without hesitation \u2014 the students in front of us today are different.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are carrying the effects of trauma, of disrupted early development, of prolonged social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic, and of growing mental health challenges that extend far beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese realities show up in schools as emotional dysregulation, heightened anxiety, aggression, withdrawal and an increasing number of students who are simply not equipped to cope with the demands of a traditional learning environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill, the expectation remains that schools will manage all of this with the same, or in some cases, fewer resources \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cSupporting students with significant behavioural and mental health needs is not optional. It is foundational. Without it, learning cannot happen in any meaningful or sustained way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The spokesman said that schools cannot be expected to function as \u201cthe front line of the mental health system\u201d without the required staff and structures in place. He said teachers are being asked to meet \u201cclinical-level needs without clinical-level support\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not sustainable, it is not safe and it is not fair, to students or to staff,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need more people in our schools, not in theory, not in long-term plans, but in real, immediate, tangible ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more paraprofessionals to support students whose needs require consistent, individualised attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more psychologists so that assessments and interventions happen when they are needed, not months or years later.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more counsellors, educational therapists and social workers embedded within our schools so that students can access support before they reach a crisis point.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need occupational and physical therapists to address the developmental and sensory challenges that are increasingly present in our classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
The BUT said it was equally critical that educators were given time to plan, to collaborate and build trauma-informed responses rather than reacting from moment to moment or \u201cin survival mode\u201d.<\/p>\n
It said they are managing behaviours without the capacity to put in place preventive structures.<\/p>\n
The BUT said that there was a \u201cgrowing disconnect\u201d between what the Department of Education is saying publicly about education and what is being experienced in the classrooms.<\/p>\n
The union also suggested that Crystal Caesar, the Minister of Education, missed an opportunity to speak out on the matter recently but did not specify where the comments were made.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Education posted a video clip on its Instagram <\/a>page on March 23 of Ms Caesar on camera being asked about whether more teachers, counsellors and paraprofessionals were needed in the public school system. She responded to the interviewer: \u201cAbsolutely. We need more people to be full-time teachers \u2014 people who are dedicated to educating our young people.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding to the BUT\u2019s comments, a spokeswoman for the ministry said: \u201cOver the past year, the ministry has advanced targeted measures to strengthen support for students, including expanding access to school-based services and programmes designed to address complex and diverse needs. We are also improving coordination across education, health and social services to ensure students receive more timely, consistent and integrated support.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 2026-27 Budget reflects this priority, with expanded funding to strengthen system-wide capacity. This includes increased investment in support staff and essential services, alongside significant capital funding to modernise and improve school infrastructure. These investments are intended to ensure that our schools are equipped to deliver high-quality, safe and sustainable teaching and learning environments.\u201d<\/p>\n The spokeswoman added that the immediate focus is on execution, ensuring that the necessary resources are deployed efficiently and without delay.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cOngoing public service hiring reforms are a critical part of this effort, aimed at enabling schools to access the personnel and supports they require in a timely manner.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain committed to meaningful engagement with educators, including the BUT, as well as with parents and the wider community. Their perspectives are essential as we continue to strengthen the system.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Burt recently met with the Youth Advisory Board<\/a> along with senior members of his Cabinet last month to discuss efforts to reduce stigma and improve mental health outcomes for adolescents.<\/p>\n