The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) believes the future of education in Bermuda lies within its plans to make the Island's schools all things to all students.

When Education and Development Minister Paula Cox was asked to list her top five priorities going into the General Election, she said, overall, it had to be the new BEST initiative, which has put new targets and goals in place for the next four years, along with proposals for unifying the system, greater accountability and improved marketing.

But she said as part of that, the Education Ministry had realised that more had to be done to cater to all students, and not just those who shone academically.

She said, to that end, Government was looking to enhance vocational skills within schools, as well as further strengthen ties with the National Training Board, and set up some kind of performing arts facility.

Ms Cox said although there was still a way to go with education, she believed the PLP had made great strides into improving public education - and the environment in which students were taught.

But she said looking forward, there were a number of key issues she believed had to be prioritised.

"I think the (PLP) platform will be coming out shortly and the role of us is not to pre-empt that, but the plan in the future is to follow up on the BEST initiative," she said.

"Action teams are meeting now and they will be making recommendations to the Ministry. A key factor in the success of BEST is going to be the teacher participation and business participation.

"The BEST initiative is going to drive the further development and progress within the public school system. The BEST initiative is my number one priority because it's the most encompassing."

She said she wanted the public system to bring out the best in every student, no matter what their strengths and weaknesses were, and said her aim was to see the system grow in both vocational and areas of the arts, as well as academically.

She added: ""We have to make sure that if we say we are not producing enough in terms of young people in the job market, then we have to look at what we can do to re-jig and improve.

"If we are saying that children are not all academically gifted, then what are we offering to them because we have to do something about it. And if we are saying that we do not have young people with sufficient skills for jobs in the financial market, then what are we doing about that?"

But second on the Minister's agenda was greater emphasis on the performing arts, and she said she expected that to be given a heightened focus, regardless of who won the next election.

Ms Cox said she would like to see the arts made a cornerstone of the curriculum in all middle and senior schools, and said steps were already being taken to look at the possibility of a performing arts school on the Island.

Third on the list was to offer students more vocational and technical training through the National Training Board and BTech.

And also ranked highly on her list was also to improve the educational services for students with hearing impairments in the public system, of which there are 23.

Ms Cox said the fourth priority was staff development for all educators, and close behind was the need to continue to forge important alliances with key stakeholders, such as principals, teachers and the Bermuda Union of Teachers.

She added: "We try to continue to strengthen these bonds and I think it's happening. There are always going to be some issues, but I think it's happening."

And last but not least on her agenda was the creation of a new financial academy on the Island, which would help better prepare students for Bermuda's job market. If given the go-ahead, it is likely to be based at Bermuda College and largely funded by the private sector.

And asked how Ms Cox thought the PLP Government had done during the last four-and-a-half years when it came to education, she said she believed the previous platform had been met.

The Minister said high standards were always set, and difficult to meet, but she believed the PLP had met all of its education criteria set out in its last platform and had even exceeded it in some areas.

The Minister said there was now an alternative school for children with behavioural problems, which not only improved the education of those children, but also students in mainstream education.

And she said there was also to be a school for children with special needs.

However, the United Bermuda Party also believes an education reform should develop talent in every single child.

However, Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith said his party also believed that all principals should be given responsibility for primary decision-making, not the Ministry of Education.

And he said higher standards needed to be set for students and better results expected from both students and schools.

The UBP wants to establish boards in every school with responsibility for operating, staffing and site-specific performance, while ensuring that the Ministry provided oversight, funding, teacher licensing and school accreditation.

However, the UBP would also publish the results of Island-wide testing and require schools to survey parents on satisfaction every year.

And other items on the UBP education wish list would be providing children with a choice of a technical education at the secondary level; create a dedicated, specialist team in each school to provide support in all areas; establish a parent co-ordinator in each school to improve parent participation; and require that music, art, drama and sports be fully integrated into the curriculum.

Mr. Smith said the length of the school day may also be extended under the UBP, and character education would be introduced from pre-school.

He said: "I am committed to making education work for our children, one child at a time. Instead of the Department of Education being the command centre for education, I envision it being more of a resource centre for all our schools.

"With the present structure, there are too many levels of decision-making and influence. We need to bring management time and attention, as well resources, as close to the front as possible. That is, to the classroom. We need resources to make our teachers more effective. Ultimately, motivated teachers will inspire our students."

Mr. Smith said more and more parents were moving their students to private schools because they saw the public sector as too risky. He added: "My vision for public education is simple. I see an education system comprising a family of schools where each of them are delivering results, where the teachers are inspiring and the children enlightened, and where parents are intimately involved in their children's education. It is happening in private schools, it is happening in other countries. It can happen here."