Minister for Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Paula Cox yesterday promised to give education in Bermuda her full commitment and dedication - but admitted that it was not a Ministry she had naturally "aspired to".

In an interview with The Royal Gazette, the Minister, who has become known for her hard work, integrity, fairness and willingness to listen, said she was as surprised as everyone else when Premier Jennifer Smith asked her to assume responsibility for education.

And although she said she was sad to leave her first Ministry behind, and looked back on it with "acute empathy, nostalgia and wistfulness", she looked forward to continuing along the path set out by outgoing Education Minister Sen. Milton Scott.

Ms. Cox said: "It was not an appointment that I actively sought - that would probably be an understatement.

"But I am honoured that the Premier has entrusted me with it.

"Of course, I am sad. You don't serve in a Ministry for some three years and then don't have some nostalgia. I have enjoyed my time in the Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Ministry and have worked with some wonderful people.

"But this is a new opportunity and I think I will have to get immersed in it and embroiled in it. I will try to build on what has already been accomplished. I think you can always say "if only", but now, having accepted the Education Ministry, my responsibility is to go forward.

"I am certainly looking forward to it and relishing the challenge."

But Ms Cox said her main aim was to work with stakeholders, including parents, teachers, principals, unions and the community to forge ahead at improving the education system in Bermuda.

And she said she wanted to see young people on the Island go after the wide range of top jobs that they too often fail to aim for at the moment.

She said she believed Bermuda had to re-emphasise over and over that a range of highly skilled jobs were available for its people and a good education was the route to them.

She added: "We have to ensure that our young people and our children have this thirst and love and desire for education."

But Ms Cox said she would have been amiss not to pay tribute to the work already carried out by Sen. Scott.

She added: "I think firstly one has to acknowledge the contribution that has been put in so far by Milton Scott. He will be a tough act to follow."

During the first three years of the Progressive Labour Party Government, Ms Cox has been among the busiest Ministers.

In the last session, she successfully steered through the groundbreaking Criminal Code Amendment Act, which rewrote how Bermuda dealt with repeat offenders, looking at alternatives to incarceration.

She also drafted new regulations restricting work permit stays, tackled numerous crises at the prison, including a lack of staff, and continued to develop a new policy on tracking sex offenders modelled on Megan's Law.

But she will probably be greatest remembered for her consultation and hard work in granting additional rights to non-Bermudian long-term residents. Also on her "done list" is the Employment Act, in which she put in place laws to protect workers and employers, which drew praise from unions, employers and opponents.

Her new ministry will now be called the Ministry of Education and Development to highlight its responsibilities for the Careers Centre and Bermuda College.