IN QUOTES

Adele Tucker

“Children came from as far as Pond Hill to attend Dell Tucker’s School. We had concerts to raise money and even in those days we possessed such things as swings, trip boards, net balls and full cricket gear.”—Fame magazine, March 1965

“Secondly, the teachers of the aided white schools were paid for children that they did not teach, while teachers of the aided coloured schools were not paid for children that they did teach.  This was considered {a} most iniquitous infringement on the rights of the teachers.”—The Bermuda Recorder, April 4, 1959

"I believe my long life is due to the fact that it has been an active life. I was always anxious to do something.”—The Royal Gazette, August 8, 1962

“In those days, the government did not own one school. If a teacher gathered 15 children together and had a schoolroom, she informed the inspector and started a school."

“The little school in Paget was only 20 by 10 by 15 feet. I never wanted for pupils. The trouble was not enough space to take them all.  Then once with the older boys at the school, we worked and extended the school 70 feet.”

“I really started teaching when I was six years old. I used to hold school for my two younger brothers in a tiny milk pantry.”—Mid-Ocean News, August 8, 1964

“It was awful. The school had originally been built in order to try to educate the slaves. The building and equipment were in disgusting condition and the only toilet was a roofless one some 300 feet away from the school building. The school itself consisted of one room. I had only been there two weeks when I went to see Lady Grey and asked her for help. I wanted to teach the children some decency. It was many weeks before a Scotsman came out and he helped to build better classes. I saw that new toilets were built, Mr. Fred Tucker, a former pupil and architect, drew plans for an additional room and cloakrooms. We were slowly progressing.”—Bermuda Sun, August 14, 1965