A committee of politicians from both sides of the party divide will come together to discuss reforms needed within Bermuda’s public school system.

Education Minister Randy Horton said yesterday that he was determined the topic should not become a “political football” and the parties must come together so reforms can take place at “full steam ahead”. A hard-hitting report by a team of experts led by British professor David Hopkins has recommended a ten point plan to raise standards in the failing school system.

It came after what Premier Ewart Brown has dubbed the “most meaningful and comprehensive” review ever conducted of the education system. It was launched earlier this year amid concern that more than half the Island’s senior school students fail to graduate each year.

The experts reported after visits to each of the schools that a quarter of lessons are taught inadequately, the curriculum is inconsistent and principals are failing to ensure quality teaching.

The most damning criticism was reserved for the Ministry of Education which was described as “poorly-led and mismanaged”, “secretive” and in need of a “radical overhaul”.

The team recommended sacking senior Ministry staff and bringing in a temporary external executive board to oversee a “major restructuring”.

Dr. Hopkins said those two recommendations needed implementing urgently along with:

* Dramatically improve teaching by bringing in external assessors, introducing staff performance reviews and monitoring the progress of every pupil.

* Raising the quality of leadership from principals by appointing off-Island consultants to act as mentors and carrying out “360 degree” appraisals.

* Introducing transparent accountability and enhancing school autonomy by having annual testing at primary levels three and six, middle level three and senior levels two and four and introducing annual school reviews.

* Joining the two senior schools — CedarBridge and Berkeley Institute - together in a federation and appointing an executive principal to oversee both and raising the school leaving age to 18.

The final four recommendations — creating self-governing federations around clusters of primary schools and each middle school; aligning the curriculum across the board; improving support for students with learning difficulties and harnessing the power of parents and the wider community — were for the longer-term.

The full text of the Hopkins report was tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday, with Mr. Horton noting in a Ministerial statement that Government has already started implementing some of the recommendations through an interim board.

The board is led by Philip Butterfield, head of the Bank of Bermuda and a former speaker of the Board of Education and has members including Bermuda College president Dr. Duranda Greene and Cabinet Secretary Mark Telemaque.

Announcing the joint committee yesterday, Mr. Horton said: “This Government is not willing to have public education in this country become a political football with blame being passed back and forth across the room. This is too important. Our children’s futures are at stake.”

Mr. Horton said the committee would feature members of both the House and will enable politicians from both the House of Assembly and the Senate “to come together to discuss the education review, and how we can all work to (raise) the education system to new heights. Therefore, we must blur party lines for a moment and come together for what is good for Bermuda.”Mr. Horton concluded his speech by telling MPs: “This is a momentous time in public education in Bermuda. This period of reform into which we have entered is not for the faint of heart. We will be moving with full steam to effect change.”