Education and Development Minister Paula Cox has revealed her vision for schools in Bermuda and said her aim was to provide an integrated system where race and class played no part .

In an exclusive interview with The Royal Gazette, she said her ultimate goal, and the goal of Government, was to provide a first class education system that rivalled any private school on the Island.

She accepted that Government still had a way to go before every facet of public schooling in Bermuda was where she wanted it to be.

But Ms Cox said she did not doubt that one day parents would have more faith in the public sector and would choose Government schools over fee-paying schools.

“Clearly, one of the outputs we would like to see is the fact that people see the public education system as their first option and the primary choice, and the premier solution in terms of educating their children,” said Ms Cox.

“I think we are having the one-off examples where people are bringing their children out of private schools to the public education system, but I think that is more the exception than the rule.” Using the Police as an example, she said the Service believed that the best advertisement for the Police to get new recruits was an officer who was already in the job, who could speak well and highly of his experiences in the force.

The Minister said she hoped to see the same unofficial advertisements come from both parents, students and teachers at the public schools.

She added: “I think that as teachers feel more comfortable, and as principals feel more comfortable with some of the changes that are taking place, and with their relationship with the Ministry, I think you will also see how that permeates and helps to improve, and I suppose enliven and uplift, the mood within the school.

“And parents talk. We have got some very activist parent associations.

“Parents are very keen and they are a necessary prong in helping to shake and move. Parents move other parents. Hopefully, people will get turned on and realise that the public education system can be a premier choice for their children. But we do have some work to do.”

Ms Cox said she believed the racial divide in Bermuda was already being broken down, but she said the full integration of the Island's schools would enhance it.

She added:”I think that the racial divide is happening, in terms of breaking it down already. I don't know whether it's part of the discussion over the Long Term Residents, and whether it's because we have what is seen as a ‘black Government', and we haven't seen the flight of capital or an exodus of white people from Bermuda.

“But, I think yes, an indicator of the break down, (is in schools). More children going into the public school system will further ameliorate that position. One of the primary schools a couple of weeks ago, the children had done a project, and the teacher pointed that there were children from all over - from India, from China, it was an extraordinary melting pot. And it wasn't a private school. It has to help when they go on.

“Certainly, in the private schools you have a mixture of whites and blacks, so these people are going out into the community and realising that there are no angels and devils.”

Previously, principal of Sandys Middle School Melvyn Bassett said he believed the situation in Bermuda, with two parallels of education, was “unhealthy”. He said: “For the most part, middle class and working class children have gone to public schools. There is no interaction between many young people and no understanding of people that are different. It's an unhealthy division and I see some consequences for our community. If we don't begin to take steps to rectify and deal with it at this level (in schools), we will never eliminate it.

“I believe eliminating the racial divide can be done by having an integrated school system. I think we need to find ways to ensure that our school system is better integrated for the sake of the country and the health of the country.”

Chairman of CedarBridge Academy Parent Teacher and Student Association Terry Flood last night backed Ms Cox's comments, but said MPs and members of the administration should put their money where their mouths were.

He said: “Right now, the system is not fully integrated. The majority of white children are at private schools and the majority of black children are at public schools.

“We want to see it broken down and we want to see the level of public education brought up to standard.

“Members of Parliament, and Government, and everyone in the Education Ministry, should have faith in what they preach. Too many of them have children in private education.

“They tell us it's good enough for our children, but it's not good enough for theirs.”