Rosemary Tyrell says that taking responsibility for Bermuda's public school system is a big challenge.

But having administered 70 schools and 98,000 students in the US, she feels up to the task.

Miss Tyrell, who became Permanent Secretary of Education on January 3, was previously Director of Education at the Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts for 16 years.

"When you are dealing with the Bermuda Government's education system, it is vast," she said. "And yet having worked for a constituent group that cared for 98,000, the previous job allowed me to fit into this one quite nicely."

Miss Tyrell, who began her teaching career in 1974 at the Bermuda Institute and became Principal of the school in 1986, said last week that if Bermuda could not provide quality education to all its students it would fail as a society.

"The country is only as good as its citizens," she said. "And the responsibility of the public system is to ensure that we provide citizens at a level that will allow the country to sustain the success that it now realises and has realised. But that is an ongoing concern of education.

"And it is also our responsibility to allow students to see how they fit in, in making a positive contribution. That is what we do, that's what we're here for. The success of Bermuda is only as successful as education. Everything, to me, hinges on that.

"So when you have the kind of committed educators that we have, knowing their task, the challenge is, us making it a reality."

She said as a teacher she never accepted that a child could not succeed, if he or she was given the chance.

"I have never referred to a child as a bad apple," she said. "Because when they are sent to me, my responsibility is to mould them into acceptable citizens, whatever it takes.

"Maybe they have some inappropriate behaviours, but I never say they are rude. If I am going to be honest, I think I can speak on behalf of the teachers when those kids come to them, they see potential.

"Sometimes they don't have the time to give 100 percent to that one child but they see potential and with what they have they try their best."

But she said teachers could not do it on their own.

"It's a shared effort. We have the students for part of the day," she said. "Parents also have a responsibility to team with us, and we in turn with them, so it becomes a partnership."

Miss Tyrell indicated that she will also be pushing schools and teachers to teach good manners and social skills as well.

That applied in the classroom, at home, and even on the bus.

Students in Bermuda needed to continue to act as young ambassadors by giving up their seats on the bus.

"I think while everyone may not do it I think it is still one of those cherished values teachers are still imparting to young people," she said, adding that good teachers can teach their students integrity and honour in the classroom, she said, and it was the challenge of every teacher to create positive, acceptable citizens for society.

"These children are our future and in addition to the academics there are so many social skills that come into play to make the whole child. This has been a challenge in past years and continues to be. We are what we are," she said.

"We measure the success of our society by how successful we have been in imparting those values to our young people."