CedarBridge principal Kalmar Richards has a right to exercise her discretion in not allowing the Harry Potter books to be used in the classroom, says the United Bermuda Party (UBP).

But the party does not agree with the decision she made.

Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith said that the UBP had "promoted the principle that school principals should be given autonomy in the running of their schools" for years and had introduced the new Education Act which gave more decision-making authority to frontline professionals -- teachers and principals -- in the education system.

"We support Mrs. Kalmar Richards, as the principal of CedarBridge Academy, in her right to exercise leadership on this matter," he said in a written statement.

"On many occasions we have agreed with the decisions Mrs. Richards has taken. In this particular case, while we may not agree with the decision not to allow Harry Potter books to supplement the curriculum, we respect her right to make that decision.

"Teachers are constantly seeking creative and educational ideas for using literature in the classroom. Indeed, they regularly seek out books to supplement the curriculum. We would suspect that principals are often called upon to rule on the suitability and relevance of new material introduced in the classroom. Harry Potter simply has a higher profile than most."

Mr. Smith refused to say, when asked, why the party disagreed with Mrs. Richards' decision. "We think it would be wrong to judge whether Mrs. Richards' decision is good or bad. A powerful and positive outcome is that the subject is being discussed in the classroom and around the kitchen table. And most importantly, it is being discussed among parents and their children. Our hope is that the debate will get more children reading."