A call has been made by the Opposition leader for the publication of research that backs the abandonment of middle schools.

Ben Smith, of the One Bermuda Alliance, urged for consultation to be shared as he responded to an interview this month with The Royal Gazette in which Diallo Rabain reiterated that the intention is to move to a two-tier public education system.

The three-tier model in which primary pupils moved into middle schools, introduced in 1997, came under criticism ten years later in the Hopkins Report assessing public education on the island, in which it was called “a mistake”.

In 2017, the Progressive Labour Party pledged to abolish middle schools, replacing them with signature secondary schools specialising in various disciplines.

However, system-wide reforms including phasing out middle schools were put on pause in February under Crystal Caesar, who had assumed the education post from Mr Rabain in 2025.

Mr Rabain, who was switched back to education minister last month after Ms Caesar resigned, told the Gazette that going two-tier was “best for Bermuda”.

Mr Smith said today: “That is a significant assertion, and one that deserves to be backed up with evidence that the public can see for themselves.

“Education is too important for decisions of this scale to rest on assurances alone. Parents, teachers and school leaders have lived through years of uncertainty as reform plans evolved, timelines shifted and implementation was delayed.

“They have earned the right to understand why the Government believes returning to a two-tier system is now the correct path.”

Mr Smith added: “If research has been carried out, publish it. If experts have advised the Government, let the public hear what they recommended.

“If consultations have taken place, share what people said and explain how those views shaped the decisions that are now being made.”

In 2018, Mr Rabain got challenged by the OBA in the House of Assembly to produce “analytics” to support the move.

At that time, he said consultation and research continued, and a request for proposals into the redesign went out the following year.

International consultants Innovation Unit, subsequently renamed Third Story, were chosen in 2020 to guide the process.

Last week, Mr Rabain defended the decision.

While Ms Caesar had stated that parents “voted with their feet” by continuing to place their children in middle schools, Mr Rabain ascribed the move to uncertainty over changes to schools, adding: “That is the trust we need to earn. If we are going to a two-tier system, there is a defined plan.”

He said: “There will be more transparency than we had before on what decisions are being made and why.”

Mr Smith’s statement said transparent governance “builds public confidence” and allowed ideas to be “tested, challenged and improved”.

He added: “This should not be seen as a political request. It is a reasonable expectation in a modern democracy. Major public policy should be open to public scrutiny, especially when it affects every family with children in our public schools.”

Mr Smith said that if the evidence proved “compelling, people will support it”.

“That is why I am calling on the minister to publish the evidence, the research and the consultation findings that support this next phase of reform,” he added.

“The public should not be asked to simply accept that the evidence exists.

“They should be given the opportunity to read it, understand it and judge it for themselves.”

The Ministry of Education has been asked for comment.