In response to Mark Byrne's resigning as chairman of the Board of Education I'm not surprised. Mr. Byrne stated that there is a lack of political will to make the radical changes that are necessary to improve student outcome. These sentiments have been echoed time and time again in different contexts with the same outcome, impotence. The Hopkins Report first identified the deficiencies in the system, provided a comprehensive approach to fixing the problems both short-term and long-term calling the present system on the verge of melt down.

Mr. [Randolph] Horton, former Minister, together with all stakeholders at that time agreed with this assessment, further asserting that radical changes would be coming about as a result of him having to make some tough decisions. Tough decisions that were never forthcoming and as a result he was later removed by the Premier [Ewart Brown] for not moving fast enough. In the meantime, the senior level Ministry personnel that the Hopkins Report called upon to be removed due to lack of transparency, nepotism, cronyism and the Ministry being top heavy, have remained. The penalty for failure promotion to a higher level of incompetence. The Ministry has grown even more, salaries have climbed and positive results are still eluding us. This trend has continued in spite of the decline in student enrollment.

[US education consultant] Dr. [Henry] Johnson purported that education was about teaching and learning. Sounds familiar, different context, same message, student outcome. Dr. Johnson told us that by June of this year the Bermuda Criterium Reference Testing BRCT would yield us our first true indicator as to the improvement of the education system. June of last year we ran the pilot testing programme for the BRCT with the expectation that it could be used this year yielding a true comparison of any improvement. Where are the results? Where are the results of this year's Terra Nova examinations? Why haven't any of this year's results been revealed? Where's the transparency? What will these results reveal?

Minister James has failed to bring any form of energy, conciliation or confidence in resolving the issues necessary to improve student outcome. By Mr. James' own account his constituents feel he lacks backbone and spine to stand up to the Government, to do the right thing. Principals haven't conformed to required standards. Teachers remain confused and overwhelmed with the lack of real direction and leadership. Students continue to be the dispensable pawns in the game. Minister James has been conspicuous by his absence. It is difficult to measure someone missing in action. He has been the most silent Minister to date when it comes to addressing the issues.

Parents need to develop a keener sense of awareness as to the needs of their children. Parents with children both in the private and public sectors have been abject in their responsibilities regarding their children's education by not demanding better choices from the Government. While I stand by the need to improve the quality of teaching in our schools I cannot condone the nefarious handling of teacher training and support. We are setting people up to fail. The problem is we avoid pointing the finger so that they don't get pointed back. Hence, we end up turning a blind eye to the issues necessary to overcome our tragedy: education melt down. Mr. Byrne got it right when he said he was interested in student outcome. The Hopkins Report labelled the student as being the client; Dr. Johnson said it was about teaching and learning and that the teachers were the paid professionals, responsible for delivery. If we fail to focus on the benefit to the children we will fail no matter what curriculum we put in place. Parents need to show more concern with all the upheaval, chopping and changing with the curriculum.

We need a more enlightened and engaged opposition to bring credibility to the overhaul of the education system. It is not good enough for [Shadow Education Minister] Dr. [Grant] Gibbons to make rhetorical statements that: we need consistency; if someone is doing a good job, you want them to continue. What evidence is there to substantiate whether Mr. Byrne or anyone else has done a good job or not? Why hasn't he demanded the results from the Terra Nova or BCRT testing in Parliament? The opposition has to be equally responsible and vigilant as the Government for ensuring the rights of the people.

We spent millions of dollars under Dr. Johnson's watch, aligning the Bermuda Curriculum with the BCRT testing only to hide the results and scrap the testing. We have spent millions of dollars under Minister James with lead and learn only to be scrapped, and now we have spent millions of dollars under former chairman on the Board of Education Mark Byrne to adopt the Cambridge Curriculum. To what end? We have got to be the laughing stock of every high profile consultant we continue to bring in, offering their unfettered service promoting only their own self-enrichment. Where is the student outcome?

Finally, I would like to state we all have our share of burden in resolving this enormous and arduous task which will require bipartisanship, a conciliatory approach with the focus on student outcome and a magnanimous effort by all charged with its outcome. We have had Dr. Johnson, Phil Butterfield and Mark Byrne, all accomplished individuals, walk away frustrated from a system on the brink of a meltdown on one hand. On the other hand we have the Ministry still growing, getting paid higher salaries with no positive results. How is this? Where is the commitment from Government?

This opinion piece written by Myron Piper, chairman of Bermuda Educational Parents' Association.