The Minister of Education should come clean and admit that public education is “underperforming terribly”, the shadow minister has said.

Ben Smith was speaking after it was revealed that in almost all cases, Bermuda’s public schools were falling below international averages in their Cambridge Checkpoint and IGCSE results.

He said the minister, Crystal Caesar, had a duty to admit the problem and more importantly, make clear how she proposed to fix the issue.

“The public education system is failing to deliver the tools needed to reach the outcomes our children deserve,” Mr Smith said.

“One cannot ignore that not a single primary school within the public school system reached the international average in core subjects.

“It is a clear sign that something is fundamentally broken. The problem is a system that continues to consume enormous resources without producing the results families expect.

“Under nine years of a [David] Burt government, more than $1 billion has been spent on education. Yet the public is now being told that each school may require another $10 million to $20 million just to be brought up to standard. This is absolutely ludicrous.

“Providing a quality education is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any government. If more than $1 billion has already been spent, Bermudians deserve to know why student outcomes are still below international averages.”

Ms Caesar said during the Chamber of Commerce’s Budget Breakfast last month that the millions were required for upgrades and called on the business community to adopt a school, helping to provide necessary resources.

Mr Smith added: “Throwing more money at a system without transparency, accountability and measurable improvement will not change these results. For years we have heard announcements about transformation, reform and restructuring, but transformation is not measured by press conferences or plans, but by student achievement.

“Right now, the results tell a very different story than what this government has been trying to sell. Bermuda’s children only get one chance at their education. They cannot afford another decade of promises while the system continues to underperform. It is time for the Government to stop announcing new ideas and start delivering measurable results.”

The Department of Education said earlier this week that it was addressing low grades with “instructional reform and targeted academic supports”.

A spokesman for the department said: “It should be noted that Bermuda’s performance relative to international averages is influenced by several factors, including the non-selective nature of the public school system, small cohort sizes — which can create statistical volatility — and the academic disruption experienced globally during and following the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Mr Smith said that parents and "the village“ also had a role to play in the success of their children's performance in school.

He told parents: “Ask if they have homework, maintain open lines of communication with schools, ensure that your children have the resources and support they need.”

The Ministry of Education was invited to provide comment.