‘Bums on seats’ – a perfect description of the cabinet of government and its various secretariats
Published:
September 7, 2013 at 5:24pm
The Education Minister, Evarist Bartolo, spoke at a conference yesterday about the importance of quality in teaching English.
And in doing so, he used the term ‘bums on seats’.
Surely more eloquence was required in the context?
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Maybe the Education Minister should organise English-as-a-foreign-language classes for his fellow members of the cabinet. Lead by example, and so on.
Ok I see where you’re coming from. However, in the ELT/EFL industry, “bums on seats” is the correct term.
EFL schools, of which there are some 40 of them in Malta, commonly refer to occupancy levels as bums on seats as a measurement. Much like hotels refer to bed nights or room nights to determine occupancy.
Evarist Bartolo must have heard this term at some FELTOM meeting, otherwise there is no chance he would have known about it. So in this case, his use of the term was within a context that his audience understands.
[Daphne – ‘Bums on seats’ comes from the theatre/cinema industry, not TEFL, hence the expression. And while it is suitable for business executives to use in an informal context, it is entirely unsuitable for a formal setting, more so for the Education Minister. He could have used the word the rest of us use, which is ‘numbers’.]
This link shows that (as usual) Daphne is correct about usage:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bums-on-seats.html
Despite its unrefined tinge, this is very common jargon in the UK’s independent and higher (a private sector) education domains where securing numbers is (ironically) a major goal.
Ridiculous reasoning, just like Evarist Bartolo’s.
Why don’t you say that you have learnt something new?
You started off from a point where you thought Evarist Bartolo was being stupid. And now, both Joe and I tell you it is the correct term, though unrefined.
And more importantly, it is the correct term used in the appropriate forum. Whether the minister for education should have used it or not is questionable, I agree.
Yet, you decide this is ridiculous reasoning.
“We must ensure top quality teaching, in line with the reputation we have built over the years”, he said.
Excuse me, but who was in charge for full twenty-five years prior to 9th March?
That was a Freudian slip.
http://tvm.com.mt/news/2013/09/tvm-crew-threatened-by-developer/
And who is this nameless developer ?
He is not nameless. The MEPA Map Server reveals all – it’s a David Psaila, presumably an architect, who lodged an application on 4th March.
That application was validated on 22nd April and the target date for finalising the permit process was set to 21st October.
Yet here we are in early September and the permit has already been issued and works commenced. Now how’s that for super efficiency?
The new TVM schedule features a blank where John Bundy is clearly scheduled to be together with Norma Saliba, despite denying this on Facebook.
Norma Saliba has instructed us PBS sales-people to find sponsors for her morning show TVAM. But it’s still ‘top secret’ who will be presenting the show. In fact their names aren’t featured on the new brochure launched on Friday.
So why is everything so secret?
What does John Bundy want in return for his sponsored monologues on daily TV?
One hundred per cent correct, Winston.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bums-on-seats.html
‘This rather derogatory meaning’
Sabrina Agius
Communications Coordinator
Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights
Santa Venera
This mole was not on the billboards but instead of planting her at The Times newsroom “Anything goes” Joseph, gave her an iced bun for (secret) services rendered.
Bartolo should start Kindergarten level English classes for those nincompoops placed in high places by the various ministries.
I fully agree with Winston. They love taking credit when it suits them. They no longer blame the previous administration.
Errr I think the sentence is incorrect anyway. You do not FILL bums on seats!!! You “put” bums on seats or fill seats but filling bums is an altogether more uncomfortable prospect for most people.
Uncomfortable?
Not with Labour in power it isn’t.
“an exceptional super national experiment /innovative structure” Wow.
That’s the latest definition of the European Union. Double Wow.
I’m quoting our Prime Minister. Triple Wow.
He said that in Dalian China, just after claiming that Europe lacks leadership. Quadruple Wow.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/world/Europe-lacks-leadership-Joseph-Muscat-tells-Davos-20130912
(fast forward to minute 25 of the video in that link)
If my friend Arnold was still alive ….
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A6mHF-6wntY