El James is back as Education Minister, determined to face the challenges of the Island's education system head on.

The 59-year-old former educator walked away from Cabinet in July after calling for Premier Ewart Brown's resignation following several public protests about his leadership.

Mr. James was reinstated as Education Minister two weeks ago, just in time for the new school year. On Friday, he and newly appointed Education Commissioner, Wendy McDonell sat down with The Royal Gazette to discuss issues they see as crucial to improving students' performance in the public system.

There's a number of changes planned for Bermuda's public school system in the coming year. Steps are being taken to see recommendations in the controversial Hopkins Report put into effect, the Cambridge International Curriculum (CIC) will be gradually phased in, special classes will be offered to gifted students to keep them motivated and by next year, legislation should be in place to assist students pursuing degrees at the University of West Indies (UWI).

The changes should prove a boon to Bermuda's much-maligned public education, believes Minister El James, who said moves are now in place to see students benefit from recommendations in the 2007 Hopkins Report. Included in the report's recommendations were that the Ministry improve the quality of teaching, strengthen the strategic management of the education system and become more transparent.

"Well, with any report, progress is normally very slow but I think we are going very well right now," said Mr. James. "We're on the move.

"It took a while to get going but now that we are moving, we're looking forward to this September when we start the soft launch of the (CIC). So we're satisfied that we are definitely on track and that we are going to make a difference in education."

Education Commissioner Wendy McDonell, whose post was created in response to a recommendation in the Hopkins Report, added: "We've also had a very strong orientation towards teaching and learning which is a very key part that's come out of the reform. The focus is very much in providing teachers with the strategy to be able to teach effectively."

The new curriculum will be rolled out in a few weeks. According to Mr. James it was chosen above others because it carries international recognition.

"Well, we thought that one of the things coming out of the report is that we look at the curriculum. We chose the Cambridge curriculum for various reasons but we wanted an international curriculum with internal recognition and international acceptance. I think the (CIC) is in 157 other countries so we become the 158th.

"With that, there is great recognition. It's like you're walking in some unknown part of the world and you see a big golden arch," he said of the feature recognisable as part of McDonald's restaurants worldwide. "Any of our students going abroad with that Cambridge certificate, with that logo in the corner, they know exactly what our folks have been exposed to."

The Minister said instructors will visit the Island from the United Kingdom to examine the curriculum next week. The CIC is to be slowly phased into the school system, and completely integrated in 2010, he added.

Also planned is an enrichment programme for "gifted and talented students", Mr. James said.

"We're looking at whatever gifts or talents [they] might have that may be art, music, or sport. We're going to start a pilot programme this September with the Dellwood family of schools [West Pembroke, Northlands, Dellwood and Victor Scott primary schools] and that will run from 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. every day. It won't start until the beginning of October because that first month will be used to determine what interests the students have.

"It could be photography, writing, anything. But there will also be room for the academically gifted. We will be identifying individuals who can be moved ahead and given special instructions so that they can move at their own pace. [With regard to] the academically gifted, they could be in S4 and have done a few credits at the college.

"We are going to allow the individual to move ahead if they've been blessed by the good Lord. The hope is next year, when we implement the full Cambridge curriculum, to implement the full enrichment curriculum."

In July, this newspaper reported that the Ministry had yet to appoint head teachers in three public schools Paget, West Pembroke and Victor Scott.

According to Mrs. McDonell and Mr. James, the vacancies have been filled in the primary schools although the principals have not been announced.

"Yes, we have appointed the teachers, and they had known for some time, but there was some paperwork that had to be done before we released the names," Mr. James said.

Mrs. McDonell added: "The principals start on Monday. I talked to one of the principals today and she has signed her contract so it's just a matter of time, just waiting to go to human resources then we'll make a public press release announcing it. Some of the principals have been in the schools so the teachers have seen them."

It is essential that all contracts are signed before a principal is formally named, Mr. James said.

"The contract has to be read by the teacher and then signed so until that happens we try to keep it quiet. The principals have had the knowledge of their destiny for some time."

Asked why graduation rates for the Island's two senior schools, the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy, haven't been released, Mr. James said: "Well, whenever we get anything we have to discuss it internally first. And we have not had our meeting yet. As soon as we discuss them they will be released."

A new technical programme, aimed at helping young males who are gifted in that area, is to open next month. According to Michael Stowe, director of the Technical Skills Centre, he decided to open the institution because the closure of the Bermuda Technical Institute several decades ago had left a void in that aspect of education.

Mrs. McDonell said the Ministry would be working to better highlight technical and vocational programmes on offer at the Island's two senior schools in the coming term.

"First of all, we have technical courses offered at both schools and one of the things we haven't been doing is letting people know that they have choices regarding that.

"The Board of Education, led by Riquette Bonne-Smith, is developing an additional technical programme. We are certainly looking at what we have available."

In May, a petition by Bermuda to become a full member of the University of the West Indies (UWI) was unanimously accepted. In accordance with that, students from Bermuda were expected to get subsidised rates once the Island put necessary legislative measures in place to honour Government's promise to contribute to the revenues of UWI.

Little has been said since. Asked about the status of the legislation, Mr. James told The Royal Gazette the Ministry is aiming to have it in place for the next school year.

He said of its importance: "We looked at the University of West Indies because it is in the Caribbean. It's in the region [and] we are members of CARICOM.

"We're looking at the fact that the West Indies have a climate very similar to ours. They offer three different campuses. And, of course, tuition is very competitive so we can get a quality education in an environment that's very similar to ours."

Last month, the Ministry announced that 24 students who should have started senior school in September, are to redo their final year of middle school after failing an exam. The pupils were given three chances to pass the test but failed each time to achieve 50 percent for English and mathematics. Parents had until today to appeal the decision to retain their child.

Said Mr. James: " Right now it was sent to our Appeals Committee so the Appeals Committee has been dealing with it."

Mrs. McDonell added: "And they will be sending a letter out to the parents shortly after we know what the decision will be and we will prepare a press release and let the public know what the status is."

With the new curriculum beginning this fall, this newspaper asked whether current exams in the public system the Terra Nova tests and the Bermuda School Certificate (BSC) will still exist.

"Terra Nova is the norm reference test to compare our students with the students in the US to see how we're doing," explained Mrs. McDonell. "The tests were taken in June and we are waiting for those results. Once they are here, we review it then we prepare a report to release it to the public as we've always done.

"It's a very important accountability piece I might add. We have to have some sort of internal assessment to know how we are doing as a Country. When we have our Cambridge firmly established we will be using Cambridge assessments and it makes sense to do that assessing at different points."

She continued: "We have to work out all of the necessary kinks. Right now we're offering a variety of certificates along with that. I don't want to say [the BSC] won't be, I just want to say that there will be other options that people will have.

"There will be options for more globally recognised certification, but I certainly don't want to be the person to say right now that the BSC will be scraped."

The Ministry of Education recently admitted that funding constraints forced it to trim the planned number of assistant directors by more than half. Thirteen assistant directors' posts had been planned but that number has since been decreased to six.

Said Mrs. McDonell: "Right now no one is in those positions. Funding, it is an issue. How will it affect teaching? I'm not quite sure because we've never had that many people in the past with our previous reorganisation.

"But I'm sure that when we have a full complement...what I can tell you will be the benefits the extreme supervision, the closely monitoring. I answer your question from what I hope it will do."

When the controversial recommendation of cluster boards was announced aided schools the Berkeley Institute, St. George's Preparatory, Whitney Institute and Sandy's Secondary Middle School opposed the idea.

Mrs. McDonell said the Ministry is now taking a different approach.

"I think that's also a changing part of the board. I think we are continuing to use the family of schools model and continuing to use the schools' advisory boards. So that would mean each school would have their own governance."

Asked if he could pick one thing that's wrong with the education system, Mr. James said: "I think I would rather say what we think we're doing right. We believe that we're doing some right things right now. Improving what's already here and adding to it."

One of those things, according to Mrs. McDonell, is that the Ministry is being more transparent.

"I would say we have definitely taken that approach with parents and community agencies. And also, in the last 18 months, [it's evident in our work] with board members. They have a voice and are helping to make policies.

"The number of parents that come here now and come in and talk with me and even the Minister. And, we meet with the unions regularly."

Mr. James added: "Our doors are open to the public. Just come on in whenever."

Mrs. McDonell was promoted to Education Commissioner in July.

Asked what is the biggest change from her old job to the new one, she said: "You certainly become aware of more issues and you have to develop the ability to focus on the problems as they arise. It's very much a solution focused mentality that you need for the daily problems. But not losing sight that we're here to serve children."

Mr. James added: "It is probably one of the most rewarding jobs to be in a position to motivate a young person and see the results of your work in years to come."