As chairman and founder of the Bermuda Educational Parents Association (BEPA), we are very concerned about the differences between the community, Government, teachers, parents and independent consultants.

The conflicts are symptoms, not the cause, of this organisational problem within our educational system, which appears fraught with tension between teachers and the Ministry's consultants over the Island's future direction, coupled with participation and communication issues.

All efforts at reconciliation will ultimately fail the current and future students of Bermuda unless this conflict between parties is looked at systematically, that behavioural patterns are acknowledged and ratified and specific disagreements are resolved collaboratively.

The underlying issues will continue to plague progress and new symptoms will emerge with the current level of distrust that exists between stakeholders. I think that there are some hard, but fundamental questions that can only be answered by the stakeholders themselves, our Government, teachers, parents, students, PTA's and the community if we are to promote and contribute to a positive school climate for students.

There's a crisis in our public school classrooms. Our children are achieving at lower levels, earning lower test scores, are dropping out and are discouraged from striving to excel academically or demanding excellence from themselves. Fuelling the low levels of academic achievement is our own black culture in some quarters that seeks to portray academic achievement as a sell-out to a "white" society. We cannot allow those attitudes to prevail.

BEPA's first question to all stakeholders is: "Do we want things to get better?" Indifference toward academic achievement will doom our children to a future far beneath their capabilities, and that has to change.

Our educational system is not working. It will require sacrifice, independent thinking, risk, and responsibility to correct. As Bermudians, have we become so acceptant of the present state of affairs that our apathy prevents us from standing together as a community with courage and conviction to right an indignant wrong, impotent to act in defense of our children and those needing our support.

It is BEPA's position that "no real change or progressive action can come about without the mass grass roots mobilisation of ordinary people willing to do the extraordinary with fearless contempt for those of our leaders that refuse to acknowledge the will and rights of its people. We are encouraging all Bermudians to get involved, attend our meetings support our organisation or similar type organisations". Refuse to be a victim. It is time for direct action.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: "Direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community that constantly refuse to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to dramatise the issue so that it can no longer be ignored." What's frightening is the number of Bermudians that are concerned but are not willing to publicly express their concerns.

BEPA's other question that needs to be answered is "is it worth the fight"? Before we can talk about rising above our collective differences and talk about what's good for Bermuda we must first confront the policies and conditions that make these differences a reality."

Political leaders do not make changes on the basis of moral imperatives. They put forth change in response to public pressure and opinion brought about by direct action. We need to come forward, as a mass movement of people willing to stand up and express ourselves regarding education and the multitude of social and economic issues affecting Bermudians irrespective of race, religion or political persuasion – they are all interconnected.

As a nation we tend to separate ourselves, identified along lines of black, white and Portuguese Bermudians, then there are ex-pats and Bermudians, rich, middle class or working poor, PLP or UBP, Government or anti-Government, racist or black powered, young versus old, foreigners are classified by nationality – these are but a few categories. When all is said and done, we all live on this 22-square-mile island and need to work together in the best interest of Bermuda's future to resolve our issues.

The late Freddie Wade, spoke at the 1995 PLP Annual Delegates Conference. The theme of his speech was "Conviction, Commitment and Courage".

"We first of all need Conviction – we have a duty and responsibility to our children, grandchildren and future generations to equip them for success in a global environment.

Next we require commitment – unless we are committed to fixing our educational system, we are earmarking our future generations to manual labour, complacency, mediocrity, unemployable or failure without the benefit of education, culture, and ideas. The economic prospects for our child are determined overwhelmingly by the education that our child gets. And the picture is clear, given existing realities in Bermuda between the upper class, middle class and a very large working poor class, that without dramatic change, ethnic economic gaps will persist into the foreseeable future.

We must have the courage to know that we are Bermuda's solution. We have the brains, the experience and skills to solve the country's problems if given a chance.

Leader Wade further stated in that famous speech: "Those who see the Party as an opportunity for personal satisfaction, personal financial gain, and personal political gain must reassess their values and reshape their ideas so that they develop the conviction required not for my sake but for the good of the Party, the country and the people whom we represent."

Leader Wade was very unselfish, sacrificing economic opportunities in an effort to equally empower black and Portuguese Bermudians. Somehow, we appear to have loss focus on our past leader's vision.

We are demanding courageous political and educational leaders willing to push in every possible way to address this problem.

Our political leaders (PLP or UBP) know something is wrong, but find it difficult to step up and generate needed changes, it's the time for courageous leadership showing true transparency through affective and meaningful involvement with all stakeholders.

As deputy Premier Paula Cox stated in one of her speeches, "we must hold our leaders accountable". I implore all the residents of Bermuda to set out a clear path of courageous struggle and be willingly to stand up for what is right.

Myron Piper is president and founder of the Bermuda Educational Parents Association.