Government today pledged to amend legislation to give the Board of Education the teeth it needs to implement much needed reforms to the public school system.

Reading the Throne Speech — outlining Government’s aims and objectives for the next year — new Governor Sir Richard Gozney said this session of Parliament would consider amendments to the Education Act in order to implement recommendations in the 2007 Hopkins Report.

The Throne Speech covered several of the pledges made by Government during the run up to the December election.

However, election promises such as free public transport and free college education for all were notably missing. The drafted Workplace Equity Act also failed to get mentioned in the Throne Speech.

Amid a protest by Bermuda Public Service Union workers, who are in the midst of pay negotiations with Government, the legislature was officially reconvened this morning.

One of the pledges was to review laws governing the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George’s, saying the legislation was outdated.

Sir Richard read: “The Corporations of Hamilton and St. George’s have served their respective municipalities well, but the framework within which they operate is outdated and it can be argued that it does not reflect modern good governance. Accordingly, amendments to the Municipalities Act 1923 will be considered to modernise the Corporations, and to better serve the people of our past and present capitals.”

Race relations were again a big feature of the Throne Speech with the announcement that a feature length documentary on “The Big Conversation” is currently in production.

It will chronicle the work of the Bermuda Race Relations Big Conversation in 2007. In the address the Governor read it would provide a thorough examination of race and privilege in Bermuda.

The Bermuda Race Relations Initiative will also sponsor a half-hour monthly series on CITV.

And the Throne Speech pledged to improve the quality of Bermuda’s water supply through amendments which would provide greater control over the discharge of substances into the Island’s water resources.

The Government will also create a Press Council, a self-regulatory body, appointed to enforce compliance with an agreed Code of Practice. The Throne Speech said it was necessary to “ensure that journalistic integrity and the freedom of information continue to mature”.

See our website for the full Throne Speech and tomorrow’s Royal Gazette for full coverage