A strong commitment to education led El James to return to Cabinet only weeks after he left his post as Education Minister.

The former private and public school educator told The Royal Gazette his return was based on a desire to finish what he started when he first accepted the role in November 2008.

"When I started, and what we were involved in and the plans that we made, I wanted to see it done right," he explained. "I wanted to see it move forward. I made a commitment to do whatever I can and I saw that commitment as being one I had to stand by.

"As long as I am in politics, I must do whatever I can."

In July, Mr. James told the House of Assembly that Premier Ewart Brown should resign after several public protests about his leadership. He was then either fired or resigned as Education Minister – it has never been made clear how exactly he departed from Cabinet.

At the time Warwick North Central MP said of his decision to speak out against the Premier: "No man is bigger than this party. I have listened to my constituents say: 'Where is your backbone? Where is your spine? We put you in there and what are you doing?'."

Mr. James was reappointed Education Minister on August 18.

Speaking to this newspaper on Friday, Mr. James explained his decision to work for Dr. Brown once more.

"I came back because of the reasons that we discuss today that education is important and all of us in politics realise the issues that we came to deal with are bigger than any one of us."

Mr. James refused to comment on Dr. Brown or how he was persuaded to come back.

Speaking on the progress the Ministry is making, he said: "We are pushing ourselves to get the reforms done as quickly as possible and we will be requiring the same of our principals and teachers.

"We want to set the education system on fire and put that fire under everyone who's involved in education to say that whatever we plan to achieve we achieve as quickly as possible.

"We've just taken on a new batch of teachers. We have very, very high expectations of them not to just sit in the job but to be creative and motivate our children."

l Full interview -See the News section