List of issues lands Bible school ‘weak’ grade

| 14/02/2020 | 88 Comments
Cayman News Service
Calvary Baptist Church

(CNS): Government school inspectors have graded the Calvary Baptist Christian Academy as ‘weak’ after they assessed the relatively new private church-linked school for the first time in January. Inspectors said in the recently published report that there were serious weaknesses in students’ attainment in all core subjects and progress in science. The school uses a Bible-based workbook system designed for home schooling, which raised serious concerns for inspectors from the Office of Education Standards.

The school has 76 students enrolled from nursery to high school grades, who are supervised rather than taught directly as they work their way through the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum from Grades 1 through 12. The curriculum is delivered through a series of workbooks and texts, called Packets of Accelerated Christian Education (PACEs), for each subject.

Students are expected to progress through the materials at their own pace and complete self-tests. They then take a PACE test, which is graded by a teacher, before they move to the next level. As a result, the school has only five teachers, not all of whom the inspectors found to be qualified, and nine support staff. There is no library, no science labs and the children do not work together.

Although inspectors found that the children were well behaved as a result of a ‘rewards and consequences’ system, and the school had effective links with parents, there appeared to be little else in the report to commend the school.

The inspectors judged attainment in English in both the elementary and higher phases and in mathematics and science across all phases of the school as ‘weak’. Progress in mathematics at Kindergarten and in science across all phases was ‘weak’, as was the teaching because class teachers were not using assessment to check students’ understanding or intervene when students had misconceptions.

Students’ learning was ‘weak’, as they had too few opportunities to work collaboratively to develop their problem solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills and the curriculum is not broad or balanced because of the lack of planned approaches to lessons beyond the PACE booklets.

Inspectors made a long list of recommendations for the school, which according to its website appears to be preparing its students for a life in service to the church rather than college or a career. The inspectors will return in six months to measure what, if any, progress the school has made.

See the full report in the CNS Library or on the OES website.


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Comments (88)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Any links to Wesleyan’s grade? From what I remember they also used the same system. Would be interesting to know if Gov’t is allowing these schools/businesses to remain open to continuously provide such weak systems.

  2. Anonymous says:

    What does it tell you about a religion that its survival depends on indoctrinating and tricking young children into believing it? If no child was taught to believe, religions would be extinct in one generation.

    #lame

  3. Anonymous says:

    Poor kids. I take great joy from time to time in sneaking into Book Nook and moving the Bible into the Christian Fiction section.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Trillions of $’s pour in and out of our financial system annually as we enable those that can afford it to avoid taxation (quite legally, i know). We also enable others to evade it but that’s not good for the PR so we ignore it. We also have many of the worlds richest banking here, some even have property here. And we charge them a relative pittance. As naive as it may be, and without seeking direct taxation to be implemented, isn’t there scope for a meeting of the minds and asking for some help in funding our crippled education system/healthcare/etc so that we can continue to enable their well being too? There are many unimaginably wealthy sovereign funds banking here, using us to facilitate tax efficient investment vehicles, along with the googles and facebooks of this world. You really dont think they’d all chip in to help us to help them? all you have to do is ask. It’s a win win

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Religion should be taught at home, and should have no place in education.
    Open the government schools to everyone, and make parents who can afford it pay fees based on means. Use those fees to improve the standards of our schools. Bring all our children together, to learn, grow, play, and develop as one community.
    Build a stronger, better future for our country.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    cig should be sued for negligence for letting this happen.

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    • Anonymous says:

      ppsstt! I think there’s a lot of us parents who should be suing CIG for negligence of all the public schools!!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    t.his is child abuse and brainwashing.

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  8. Jude the Obscure says:

    Surely it should be written in law or regulations that any school in the Cayman Islands must follow a curriculum used in another Commonwealth country; suitably modified for the Islands where it originates from outside the Caribbean.
    BUT let us examine how this situation came about. In Grand Cayman ‘expatriate’ children may not attend Government schools. The established private schools are expensive and have no vacancies. For the average lower-paid working family from overseas this may well mean having to leave their children behind in the home country. The church operating this particular school is obviously filling a need and enabling some families to have their children living with them here. This must be better than a forced separation. It is unfortunate that the church in question sees an opportunity to impose its own beliefs as quid pro quo for providing that opportunity.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    They are born with a brain that is capable of so much only to have it narrowed and rewired by religious zealots. It’s brainwashing and abusive.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    No surprise there. You teach young kids to believe in magic and force them to live their lives as if it’s true, they aren’t going to fare so well in the real world.

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    • Anonymous says:

      See, Here in lies the real purpose of these articles. To bring forth these idiotic comments with the philosophical foresight of an ameba.

      You speak of belief in Magic, yet you purport that existence, the universe, life, DNA and amino acids proteins can be spawned out of literally nothing from nothing. Do you understand the sheer level of complexity to arrive to these things “un-caused”? You can do the math, its approximately like winning the lottery, everyday for 30 millions year in a row without failing once, to arrive at the first protein. The observable universe does not have this kind of age to build complex life randomly.

      What you support is actually worse than magic. At least with Magic, there is a magician. To believe what you believe you might as well believe in the spaghetti monster because that all you can intellectually handle.

      Educate yourself on theology at least the learn the basics become making absolute kindergarten level philosophical statements. (Yes in the event you are too dumb to realize it, your comments are actually philosophical in nature so you should at leave familiarize yourself with the subject)

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      • Anonymous says:

        Your misconception is that it went 0-100 and that you need to win the “lottery”. Your statement “life, DNA and amino acids proteins can be spawned out of literally nothing” is FALSE.

        The cosmological argument is probably what you’re trying to go off of. Just because something is very complex and you fail to understand it, it doesn’t mean that your subjective magician did it. You are arguing from ignorance and employing a laughable “god-of-the-gaps” argument, if you want to bring up philosophy.

        Educate yourself in genetics, biology, isotopic dating and archaeology for a good start.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Do you know what the genome code in RNA is? Please explain what it is and how it came into existence.

          Thanks.

        • Anonymous says:

          Also please explain what builds proteins. I’ll wait for your explanation, and when you fail miserably, I will educate you.

  11. Anonymous says:

    In life there is learning curves, in everything no one was born running, or weight lifters.

    To become the best version of one self, we need to an assessment, then appap the sources/resources to reach our Ultimate goal.

    No place of employment is perfect, there’s always room for growth, which is why there is annual assessments.

    No students is perfect that why there is resource like Early intervention Programs.

    If people ignore the first steps to have stronger foundation, there is always going to be disappointments and a higher price to pay.

    Majority of private schools are affiliated with a church.

    Most families who pay for their child/children to be in church setting is because they want to continue the Cayman tradition to instill morals and beliefs that has been removed from our Government schools, which has removed bibles, manners, prayers and God and welcomed a free for all culture that has helped with the growing number of unemployment, growing need for bigger prisons, morgues, court house.

    in addition to the fact that Government schools are only for Caymanian children.

    For the sake of teach and supporting stronger well rounded Caymanian leaders, and outstanding citizens, Lets unite with support rather than divide with unnecessary negativity

    Every living has to grow from a seed to its ultimate purpose.

    #strongerCaymanianHumanCapital.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Most parents sent there children to faith schools because they cant afford cis or Montessori. Not because they want to continue cayman christian tradition.

      There has to be a minimum standard for these schools. If they dont meet the standard, then close it.

      By the way, morals are not based on religeon.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well written…

  12. Anonymous says:

    My wife insisted that my daughter go to a similar church school in West Bay. I protested but she prevailed. Much to my dismay my daughter could not cope in regular schools after she left. I had to spend thousands to get remedial help for her right through High School. What an abusive system “PACES”; no significant direct teaching but rote learning! These church schools have done more damage to students than the devil.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Wow, it’s so easy to talk freely about a methodology and curriculum that you know nothing about. Have any of you that are making negative statements even looked into how this system works. My two children both graduated with this system. The first, graduated at the age of 16 and the second graduated one year early and went on to a 4 year scholarship with a large accredited university and did better than 90% of her piers that went to a state run school system. In addition to teaching them to learn to think for themselves they learned things like respect, how to set goals and actually accomplish them on their own and great life and family values. So much better than what most of our children learn in the public systems now.

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  13. Al Catraz says:

    “intervene when students had misconceptions.”

    Intervene when students have misconceptions? Obviously the evaluators fail to appreciate the entire point of the school.

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  14. Only God☝🏾 says:

    Whereas, I affirm in an educational system that develops the body and the intellect, I think it should include development of the soul and upright character, as we consist of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. However, it is important to have a balanced way of dealing with these important aspects, so that one is not lagging behind. The Christian’s approach with their confusing variations of beliefs, is problematic. And hence, the low grading of the children.

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    • Extend a hand says:

      I’m with you on this, Christianity, or at least how it is mostly preached here is breeding division not inclusivity. As a population we are deeply divided. Being openly of another religion, being atheist or agnostic here brings you to be excluded by the self-righteous so called Christians who bill themselves as the so called founders of this society.
      We cannot hope to progress and prosper in this world whilst continuing to ostracize all other faiths and cultures.
      Our society has representation from how many different cultures and religions some of which are Caymanian by birth and by acquisition? Rather than restricting studies to one religion, divinity studies need to adopt a wholistic curriculum.

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      • Anonymous says:

        No one ostracise other religions in Cayman. We have Muslims with their mosque, we have Jewish faith with their temple, Christians, comprising of the Mormon faith, catholic faith, Latter Day Saints faith, Seventh day Adventist faitn, Baptist faith, United church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands faith, Jehovah Witness faith and probably more. I have never heard anyone complain that they are not free to worship where and whenever they like. The problem with some of you is that you are so fixated on stamping out anyone or any group who stand up for morals and bible principles. I hate to burst your little bubble but as long as you choose to live on the Islands called the Cayman Islands you will have to contend with that. No amount of insults and diatribe will ever stop that so my friend your might as well get used to it.

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        • Anonymous says:

          I am a seventh-generation Caymanian and an unapologetic atheist. What do you prescribe for me? Blood lettings? Laying of hands? An exorcism? Disfellowship?

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          • Only God ☝🏾 says:

            I prescribe to you objective moral living and to reconsider the existence of Creator God. Not a God “defined” by mere religious beliefs and churches.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Let’s be clear that the fringe sect Evangelical Fundamentalists here are not sharing much of mainstream contemporaneous Christian teachings, which they openly condemn as well! CIMA’s (self-appointed) Bishop Sykes’ Anglican Church follows the 1611 service, and is disavowed from modern Church of England. It’s his own church, and they all hand their hands fully extended when McKeeva was dipping into his discretionary nation building fund. Caveat emptor.

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        • Caius Julius says:

          The Right Reverend Sykes was properly consecrated Bishop in the apolostolic succession, traceable back to St. Peter. Not ‘self-appointed’ at all. The Book of Common Prayer dates from 1662 although there are earlier versions.
          I do agree that most of the fundamentalist doctrine preached in these Islands is misguided at best.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Oh dear, spare us.

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          • Jotnar says:

            Apostolic. And the Book of Common Prayer was first authorized in 1552 – the 1662 version reflects minor variations. Albeit whether you can spell apostolic or get the year right is rather dwarfed by the concept that you can believe that Nicholas Sykes authority is based on an unbroken chain of passing on authority dating back to the time of Christ, or even that a book written over 1500 years after the death of Christ with the intervention of the Dark Ages is some perfect interpretation of God’s teachings.

      • Anonymous says:

        Plus it’s the basis of the underlying corruption on these islands. To get on you need to worship at the right church with the right people. Comments are being posted here attacking the Freemasons but the churches are just as bad, if not worse.

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      • Only God ☝🏾 says:

        It’s unfortunate you encountered Christians that sow division… Yes, a more wholistic educational curriculum makes sense, so when children grow up into adults they will have at least some knowledge of our diversity, and a wide field of options to choose from.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Actually, it’s a question of moderating to some semblance of healthy levels of intake. Just as it’s not the brand or flavor of the soft drink that makes people fat, but the consumption of calorie-loaded drink. Same with religion. The Bible (transcribed by men and altered from three or four languages, over a millennia) should not be taken literally. Nobody lives to 500 years of age, there aren’t wizards coming to part seas for people, or floating through rocks. That’s not a function of faith, it’s just good reason and common sense, and that still leaves room for some excellent character lessons from the folkloric stories, which must also be taken in their historical context.

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      • God Only☝🏾 says:

        Indeed. And we will never fully understand this most famous book in the world next to the Quran. But I find this quote very liberating by G.K. Chesterton,

        “Fairy tales [like religious stories] do not tell children that dragons exist. Children [like religious folk] already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragon can be killed.”

        I leave it at that.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Issue number 1: it’s a Bible School

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  16. Zombie Jesus says:

    Christian education has to be the biggest oxymoron ever.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You do realise many prestigious universities, for example Harvard Yale, Princeton, oxford were started and run by Christians as Christians universities!! Go do some real reading before you make such stupid comments.

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      • Anonymous says:

        And the success of those great universities rose in direct proportion to their progressive abandonment of religion.

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        • Only God ☝🏾 says:

          … And the embracing of science, reason, empirical evidence, and the respect for all religions.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Child abuse. It needs to be closed.
    Isnt there a minimum standard for these schools ?
    Very sad this allowed.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Reading the doctrines, philosophy and ethos of this place I can’t say I’m all that surprised. Their goal is not to provide and education, graduate leaders or even professionals. Any parent sending their child here can hardly expect more than an adult dependent!

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Springing up everywhere like churches in warehouses.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    I’m not an education professional so I don’t know exactly what is the proper remedy to such a school curriculum, except the obvious, expanding the curriculum to include more “real world” lessons and teaching methods, among others. However, hopefully any lagging private schools will not adopt any education model from any Government-run school!

  21. Anonymous says:

    Imagine going to school and not learning at the same pace as the other students in class. Then made to feel stupid or slow because of it. Then developing behavioral issues from low self esteem. Then sent into the world with the “Skills” you developed from that system.

    This is the system that our government schools employ and instead of understanding this fundamental issue that plagues this island they would rather condemn a system that allows the children to actually learn at a pace that will help them in the long run and now be another statistic that.

    How about we instead of focusing on the Christian aspect of the curriculum, we focus on the need for our schools to employ a system similar that will ensure no kid is left behind and not become another statistic.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well the Government schools curriculum is based on the Bible too so I doubt they are criticizing because of that. I know a paced learning would be much better for my son that what the government school is teaching but I don’t want a Bible based curriculum. The Government school is teaching enough crap. The Social Studies book is from 2005 and written by a Reverend in Trinidad. Outdated information.

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    • LD says:

      I talked to a teacher on the plane about “No child left behind” her observation was. A lot of time, money and talent is wasted holding back the brilliant and talented. Not everyone is born with the circumstances and abilities to keep up. What is needed is an education system that recognizes this difference and deals with children according to their abilities.

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  22. Anonymous says:

    It’s not a myth or exaggeration to state that there are some Cayman kids living in medieval times. Where the c1611 musings on 1st Century folklore are all that prepare those sadly indoctrinated for a piously resistant, non-compliant 21st Century existence. I think back to the craziest parts of Peter Benchley’s fictional 1980 buccaneer movie, the Island, and shiver me timbers, it’s more real than fantasy here.

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  23. Cayman Inquisition says:

    A perfect education if you want to become a monk or nun, but not practical in the real world.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Tell that to numerous professionals out there making a great living who have graduated from the very system you are referring to.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Believing the world is less than 10,000 years old and that the Loch Ness Monster is real (both things taught in this system) is not going to get you far in any profession I know of.

        If that doesn’t piss you off, perhaps the fact they teach Apartheid was good and helped South Africa’s economy to grow might have a greater impact.

        Have a quick google. This is scary stuff.

        What makes it worse is this is all actively condoned and supported by the Cayman Islands Government. The foreign teachers are being given their work permits for free with little regard for lack of qualification.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Assume the only job you can get is to work at the “school.”

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  24. Anonymous says:

    They may as well get in line at the NAU now.

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    • Anonymous says:

      No kidding. At least the Amish and Mennonite outcasts make superb quality furniture, our neo-Luddites, at best hope, file orderly into government tampering career paths.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    Child abuse. Think of how much potential and intellectual curiosity young children have. Only to be squandered through Involuntary indoctrination into an absurd belief system. So sad. And you can’t even fully condemn the teachers and administrators because they are victims of the same process.

    #lame

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    • Anonymous says:

      #lame, there you go again foisting your closed mind on others.
      You project arrogance and yet one day you will retract every word that you have harshly said as you stand before your Judge and the giver of life.
      Your balls must be harder than brass and believe me, they will have to be.

      #inthedark

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      • Anonymous says:

        You telling them their mind is closed yet you believe in talking snakes? Dam fool

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      • Anonymous says:

        Sorry. The first commentator simply projected common sense with an open mind. How incredibly arrogant and close minded to think that your judge is the right judge and the only judge. Your magic is the right magic and the only magic.
        You project ignorance and intolerance. Apparently your judge is so weak and insecure that she/he needs to have blind obedience? Wha? – too scared to work with someone with a free thinking mind? And so sayeth Santa Claus – the giver of presents.

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      • Richard S says:

        I feel sorry for you 3:46. It’s so sad you even think that. You are the one with the closed mind living in the dark.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I don’t fear your imagined judgment day nor your hell. Do you fear the wrath of Hindu gods? Do you lose sleep worrying Zeus might cast you into Hades? I thought not.

        But why not? No one has ever disproved them. Could be true. But probably not, right? After all, no credible evidence and no logical arguments means no reason to believe. So you dismiss all other gods with ease.

        If you were consistent with your thinking you would reject Christianity, too. I understand it’s more difficult due to childhood indoctrination and constant social reinforcement, but it can be done. It’s never too late to start striving to be intellectually honest with yourself.

        #lame

        Ps. My mind is wide open. Make a reasonable convincing case and I’ll accept your claim. But wild stories and an old book aren’t good enough. I’m only applying the same standard you apply to all gods and religions except the one mommy and daddy imposed on you when you were too young to cognitively defend yourself.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Well Jesus (can you bear to hear that Name?), the Son of the Living God walked among us as a perfect man and paid for our sins.
          If you choose to pay for your own, you will come up short.
          Knowing our loving Creator is amazing, serving Lucifer sucks.
          I have done both.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Christians and atheists share so much in common. The main difference seems to be that, of the 3500+ gods worshipped in the world, atheists simply believe in 1 less.

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            • Only God ☝🏾 says:

              I don’t blame sensible people and atheists in rejection a Christian concept of God based on mere belief.

          • They taught me this in school says:

            Jesus is an alien and when he and his kind visit again, most western religions will fall and we will all be peeing in our boots.

  26. Anonymous says:

    What is the difference between that and a Madrassa? Should we allow it?

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Going to only turn out brainwashed kids who can only quote the bible.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Be fair. They will also be able to do it in a country Jamaican accent.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I’m so glad I grew up, got an education abroad and left the church’s indoctrination.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Proudly shouting “batti man fi ded” and singing “fiya bun dem” like their Jamaican counterparts while claiming that homosexuality is entirely a foreign culture and there’s no way that Caymanians could actually be gay.

      Source: I went to a local Christian school, then grew up and stopped believing in the tooth fairy.

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    • Heretic says:

      Exactly, this is also why we don’t have many students interested in science & tech. And also why Radio Cayman played religious music to pacify the masses after the recent quake. This is classic, like Dark Ages classic.

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