Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith said she and Permanent Secretary Warren Jones returned to Bermuda “energised and ready to jump headlong into the task ahead” after attending the World Education Forum.Dame Jennifer shared some of the highlights of the event which was hosted last month in the UK with colleagues in the House of Assembly.Among the forum speakers were Ignacio Rodriguez Hernandez, a student from Caracas, Venezuela, who presented student concerns to the audience.He noted: “Education needs to be centred on the needs of learners and be designed to stimulate creativity, curiosity and develop skills not just talk to their brains.”New Zealand’s Minister of Education Anne Tolley spoke of her country’s education system, which is one of the most effective in the world.And Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova stated: “The fastest movers have been those willing to invest in education and health” and that “one extra year of school can improve one’s earnings by ten percent”.Dame Jennifer said: “I took the time to quote the words of several of the speakers because of the importance of their messages.“Their presentations were confirmation that our thoughts about the Bermuda public school system are in line with the thinking of the world’s best performing jurisdictions.“The entire experience was invigorating and informative and we have returned to the Ministry of Education undaunted, determined and resolute in our belief that any difficulty can be overcome.”