There is no doubt that improving education should be at the top of Bermuda's agenda for the near future. Our children — the next generation of leaders — must have a strong educational foundation to build upon. There have been many recommendations on how to revamp our education system, including the Hopkins Report, which was a well-crafted account. Hopkins posits that the causes of our education woes are threefold: The teachers, the curriculum, and the Ministry.

The subsequent solutions, then, according to the report? Put simply: Better teachers, a new curriculum, and an improved Ministry of Education. Once we transform the Ministry, the current thinking goes, it will administer a better curriculum, which in turn will attract more qualified teachers. Our educational issues will be history. Is it that simple? No, sadly not. That is just one component of the puzzle. We must create responsible citizens, respecting authority and the rights of others. In other words, no matter how good Bermuda's education system, its success depends on whether the students listen to instruction, study, respect authority and are willing to be productive members of society.

My view? While there is undoubtedly work to be done to improve our education system, there is an equal amount of work to be done to improve the ability of Bermuda's children to become responsible citizens and respect authority. These students need nurturing. They need to want to learn – to respect the maxim that education is the key to a bright future. This is not squarely the responsibility of teachers, the curriculum or the Ministry. In fact, I believe that the job starts at home, with the parents and guardians of our children.

Children learn by the example, teachings and nurturing of their parents and guardians. It is the parent that should instill the value of education and the importance of developing all the skills necessary for success on the Island and in the world beyond our shores.

I must acknowledge that the Hopkins Report does speak to parental involvement, but places it on the bottom of the "To do" list. From a political perspective, I understand that parental involvement in education is extremely difficult to legislate. However, I believe that we must place parental involvement as a higher priority. We must educate our parents and guardians about the importance of their role and encourage them to become more involved so that we may raise the chances for success in education as well as manage many of our related social issues.

Our problems with education not only illuminate deficiencies within the system, but the more concerning issue we face: a deficiency in sound parenting and the demise of healthy family structures. We need only look at the recent prevalence of gangs and the huge spike in crime to be sure that we need to get back to basic training — training that begins in the home, those things our teachers have no control over.

I am not advocating adding extra strain to parents that in many cases are already pushed to their limits, financially and otherwise. The simple fact is that we have parents who have themselves been raised in a substandard manner. It is a cycle that can only be broken through education. A fine of $10,000 doesn't provide parents with the knowledge of how to lead by example.

I am proposing mandatory parenting courses. I understand this is included in the legislation, and I have raised this point in the House on many occasions. I also believe couples counselling would serve well instead of a fine. If the parents do not improve once they have successfully completed these courses, then the courts can consider removing the child.

These courses would include lessons on how to discipline bad behaviour and reward good behaviour, the importance of a positive presence, and the attributes of good parents, including respect, love, and responsibility. The courses would also involve an assessment of the parents to identify any conflict: domestic violence, excessive arguments, or any other factors that may be affecting the child.

It has been shown repeatedly in studies that children raised in two-parent homes, or situations where both parents are integrally involved, are more stable and more likely to succeed in life. There are exceptions, of course. However, we must encourage the ideal scenario: two involved parents.

Parental responsibility legislation should also include a mandatory assessment of the child. This assessment would ascertain issues beyond bad parenting. Many children are being abused sexually, physically or mentally, or being raised by parents with drug addictions and other debilitating conditions. A fine or parenting courses alone will do nothing to help in these situations, and further steps must be taken for the safety of the entire family and, indeed, our community.

Donte Hunt is the Bermuda Democratic Alliance MP for St. George's South.