Former chief education officer Joseph Christopher claimed yesterday that new Board of Education chairman Mark Byrne is unsuitable for the post because his children attend private school.

And Dr. Christopher — who has self-published a book this week on the history of education in Bermuda — said the board lacked parental representation and should not have been given executive powers.

The 65-year-old retired civil servant argues in his book 'A Random Walk Through the Forest' that parental ownership of and involvement in public schools is essential if students are to succeed.

Dr. Christopher said Flagstone Re boss and father-of-four Mr. Byrne should not have been appointed chairman by Education Minister El James because his oldest three children attend Warwick Academy.

"He has already shown that he is committed to private schools," said Dr. Christopher. "How can he be involved in running public schools? Unless you stand to lose or gain, you are not committed."

Mr. Byrne told this newspaper after an interview last month: "I think it's nasty and personal to question my eligibility for the role on this basis."

He said his children should be left out of any discussion about him because "they are not public figures".

He added yesterday: "I don't have a comment on my selection as chair. As you know, that was made by the Minister."

Dr. Christopher, whose three sons attended public schools, claimed yesterday that the entire structure of the new board, which has more power than past boards under the Education Amendment Act 2008, was "wrong".

He said that although members of seven school boards were represented on the new Board of Education, none of those appointed had been identified as a parent representative.

Mr. Byrne said the new law required that two people represented parents on the board. But the Official Gazette notice listing the appointments does not indicate who they are out of the 15 members.

Dr. Christopher claimed: "There is no one whose children is in the system who is being represented. "It's absolute nonsense. That would have been okay if the Minister was viewed as managing the system, but it's an executive board."

His book argues that the education system here has historically been structured to give black families little or no say in how the schools their children attend are run and that little has changed in recent years.

"The school system tends to disrespect parents," he said. "What they are proposing now is still controlled by the elites."

He added: "The politicians are not interested in the school system. Most politicians have their children in private school."

A Ministry of Education spokesman said Mr. James, whose two children are public school educators, had no comment.