The Progressive Labour Party promised a revolution in education in July 2003.

The party's manifesto claimed the PLP had not only delivered in education but had "exceeded expectations".

Fast forward to May 3, 2007 and the PLP was less ebullient. Premier Ewart Brown told the Island in a sober television and radio address: "Our children are not being properly equipped to compete and in some cases are lacking in the basic skills required to function effectively in the 21st Century."

That admission came as the findings of an in-depth review into the public school system carried out by UK professor David Hopkins were announced, revealing what everybody already knew: education was in crisis.

The news may not have come as a surprise to educators but it still had a demoralizing effect, according to the Bermuda Union of Teachers.

Acting union president Anthony Wolffe said at the time that teachers felt the Hopkins report was negative and unfair.

Certainly it was another knock to a public school system which had already suffered the temporary closing of CedarBridge Academy due to a mould infestation earlier in the academic year, a long-running dispute over teachers' pay, wildcat strikes and repeated criticism over dismal Terra Nova test results and poor graduation rates.

Yet in 2003, the PLP's manifesto had suggested that it was on course to make the public education system "first rate, first choice and first class" after five years in power.

It cited the setting up of the Bermuda Education Strategic Team (BEST) as a key component in this and said primary school class sizes had been reduced, government scholarships increased and local training for unlicensed teachers introduced.

There were plenty of pledges for the "ongoing revolution in education", many of them a continuation of initiatives already under way.

The PLP said it would continue to roll out policies and programmes from BEST; continue to develop opportunities for professional development and training for educators; continue dialogue with school boards with a view to making them more autonomous; continue to devolve power from the Ministry of Education and continue to empower the board of education to work more closely with the Ministry.

New ideas included a mathematics literacy project, a plan to give opportunities to students gifted in the arts and a special needs school, the latter a pledge fulfilled in September 2003 with the opening of the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy.

An independent council for licensing teachers, principals and para-educators was also on the cards.

BEST has since been disbanded and the licensing council is yet to fully come into operation, though it has recently been given $200,000 to set up an office, according to Education Minister Randy Horton.

Other initiatives — such as the annual Education Expo, the Teachers as Scholars scheme — have long bitten the dust.

Mr. Horton admitted in an interview on Friday that not every pledge was fulfilled and that the education system had suffered some "deep issues" since the electorate last went to the polls.

"Not all promises that we make are able to be realised; if that was the case we would be a perfect government," he said. "Certainly, in some cases, we haven't realised them."

But he said the Hopkins Report was now helping Government to chart its course in education and was convinced the system could be turned around.

Recent positive events include the opening of the new high-tech Berkeley Institute building and this year's improved graduation rate.

An interim executive board set up in the wake of the Hopkins report is working on bringing about changes to the system and a US education consultant has been hired to help.

Grant Gibbons, the United Bermuda Party's education spokesman, said almost a decade in power should have been enough time for the PLP to get education on track.

"They've had nine years, presided over by six different ministers who were clearly aware of poor Terra Nova scores, deteriorating graduation rates and declining public school enrolment early during their tenure," he said.

"(They are) all talk, no action — so why should anyone believe they're now going to be able to implement education reform as set out in their platform?"