It's been a hectic year for education. Below is a timeline of events spanning September 2008 through today.

September 8, 2008 Government schools open for the new school year.

November 5, 2008 Education Minister Randy Horton is fired by Premier Ewart Brown. Dr. Brown claims Mr. Horton hasn't moved fast enough on education reforms recommended under the 2007 Hopkins Report.

November 5, 2008 Sport and Environment Minister El James is sworn in as the replacement for Mr. Horton.

November 18, 2008 Chairman of the Board of Education, Philip Butterfield, described Bermuda Union of Teachers' (BUT) general secretary Mike Charles as a "gym teacher" who'd had his 15 minutes of fame. The comments were made during a meeting of the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Education.

February 20, 2009 Government is to give money to the University of West Indies — which has campuses in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad — each year so that Bermudian students attending there only have to pay 20 percent of the fees.

March 2009 Mark Byrne is appointed as chairman of the Board of Education replacing Mr. Butterfield.

March 6, 2009 The Board of Education is revamped to include Mr. Byrne, MP Ashfield DeVent, BELCO president Vince Ingham and union representatives.

March 31, 2009 US education consultant Henry Johnson leaves the Island three months before his two-year contract is up.

May 21, 2009 Government announces the Cambridge International Curriculum will be introduced to public schools starting in September.

July 1, 2009 Wendy McDonell is appointed Education Commissioner.

July 12, 2009 El James calls for Dr. Brown to resign after several public protests about his leadership. He is then either fired or he resigns as Education Minister.

July 14, 2009 Attorney General Kim Wilson is named acting Education Minister.

August 18, 2009 Mr. James is reappointed as Education Minister.

August 25, 2009 Technical education expert Michael Stowe says the majority of Bermudian males have a high technical aptitude which makes traditional education settings wrong for them. The Human Rights Commission calls his comments offensive and prejudicial.

August 28, 2009 In an interview with this newspaper, Mr. James talks about the idea of year-round schools as a way to stop gang violence. In the same interview, Mrs. McDonell says the controversial cluster board concept would not go forward.

September 2, 2009 BUT general secretary Mike Charles says that teachers usually hear information about the Ministry of Education from this newspaper rather than the ministry.

September 14, 2009 Public schools open for the new school year.