Education Minister Randy Horton yesterday admitted communication between Government and teachers could have been better over plans to reform the public education system.

At a press conference, Mr. Horton responded to threats of industrial action by attempting to reassure teachers that they would be consulted in the process. The Minister of Education said: “Certainly as we move forward we will be working with the unions and keeping them informed. We can’t have success without everyone involved. We will improve our communication.”

Teachers and schools staff claim they are being kept in the dark over plans to implement reforms in the wake of the Hopkins Report.

The damning review of Bermuda’s public school system by British professor David Hopkins and a team of experts called for a “major restructuring” of the Ministry of Education and a temporary external executive board to oversee changes throughout the education system.

The Interim Executive Board includes business leaders and meets once a week to draw up measures to meet the report’s recommendations. Teachers and school staff however have accused the Board of operating secretively and leaving them out of the process. On Tuesday, the Bermuda Union of Teachers, Association of School Principals, and Bermuda Public Services Union united under the Bermuda Trade Union Congress to voice concerns that their members were being ignored.

President of the BPSU, Armell Thomas, said members were “very frustrated”. Lisa Trott, BUT president, said teachers were unclear as to what was planned for the new school year in September.

BTUC president Anthony Wolff also questioned the validity of the Hopkins Report, saying it made sweeping statements from just five days’ worth of data, which was “insufficient”.

Yesterday Mr. Horton attempted to reassure teaching staff and members of the public. He said: “The BTUC has asserted that insufficient data was gathered to substantiate the findings listed in the review. It would be useful for me to remind the Bermuda public at this juncture that the review process was headed by Professor David Hopkins of the Institute of Education at the University of London, one of the world’s leading centres for educational research.

“Noting that Professor Hopkins was assisted by four other individuals with outstanding backgrounds in their fields, including two highly trained Bermudians, the Government had, and has, no reason to question the integrity of the review process or the suitability of those who lead it.

“Furthermore, we are confident that the review findings confirm that our education system is in urgent need of reform.”

Mr. Horton said: “In its statement yesterday, the BTUC expressed concern about the composition of these working groups. I am pleased to confirm this afternoon that teachers, principals, parents and other stakeholders will comprise the working groups.

“The people of Bermuda may be assured that our Premier, my Government colleagues and I, associate ourselves unequivocally with the BTUC’s view that ‘all stakeholders (teachers, parents, principals, administration and community) must be included in the change process’.

“During the days and weeks ahead, the people of Bermuda will see the manifestation of that commitment.”

He said the establishment of “a number of working groups” to address “specific aspects of education reform” would be announced next week.

“The Interim Executive Board established to oversee the review process has been hard at work for the past two months. Next week, we shall be communicating a number of initiatives designed to strengthen Bermuda’s public education system.”

Mr. Horton said: “I want to state emphatically that the consultation process will continue and that we look forward to meeting with teachers, parents, principals, education officers and other stakeholders as we, collaboratively, effect the required improvements in our education system.”

Commenting on the frustration of union members, the Minister said: “I’m sorry if they felt that way. I sat down in good faith with each group and most certainly didn’t do that to keep those groups divided, but to keep them in touch.

“Next week there will be a communication of where we are going in the next few weeks and months. The working groups have a very wide range of people of different colours, races and backgrounds. There’s quite a cross-section of people involved and I think those there will serve us well.”

Mr. Horton said: “I hope we will be putting in place some of the recommendations in September, but we are moving a little slower than expected.

“Once the person leading the reform (the Consultant Executive Officer) comes on then we’ll look at where we’re going to start change.”

Last night Grant Gibbons, Shadow Education Minister, said: “I feel very strongly that the school principals and BPSU had every right to raise their concerns. Unless we have trust among the stakeholders and good communication, the reform process is doomed to failure. Without these shareholders it will be very difficult to install education reform.

“I am also concerned that there doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency. It’s one thing to produce a diagnosis but another to implement reform.”