New Education Minister Paula Cox said a meeting will be held with parents of special needs children over the setting up of a special school.

She said there was a possibility of a separate school being established for disabled and special needs children who for the most part are taught within ordinary schools. The meeting will be held on December 6.

Ms Cox told the House of Assembly on Friday: "That's a very critical issue."

And she said her Ministry was looking at establishing an alternative site for children with behavioural problems who attend the cadet school in Pembroke which she said was not ideal for the purpose.

She said her tenure will be one of coalition building with parent, principals and teachers as she seeks to improve literacy.

She said Bermuda needed to better to attain reading levels seen elsewhere, particularly the United States.

"We need to make sure our education system delivers."

She also said gifted children would be looked at to make sure they could achieve all that was possible within the public school system, saying: "We don't want to pitch the bar too low."

She went on: "Next year we intend to establish national teachers assessment to continue education and courses for teachers to upgrade themselves. It's a question of providing facilities."

And 2002 will also see The Teachers Licensing act brought in to make sure all teachers are licensed.

Ms Cox said improving the education system was not an overnight task but it was vital to ensure Bermudians could take advantage of job opportunities.

The community will be invited to take an active role in schools said Ms. Cox with suggestion boxes being put in Post Offices. She added: "We'll be asking businesses to consider adopting a school."