The appointment of a new communications consultant to the troubled Ministry of Education (MoE) has been labelled "excessive and over-the-top" by the Opposition.Former Premier's press secretary Scott Simmons is the latest addition to a burgeoning media team with responsibility for spreading the Ministry's messages.It already employs a communications officer, and a second officer in the Department of Communications and Information (DCI) also shares responsibility for the MoE.A former DCI officer last night speculated that the new combination of three roles could cost the tax-payer between $225,000 and $250,000 per year. Responding to the news, Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons said: "Normally I would not be complaining about Government communicating too much in the Ministry of Education. Everyone recognises that communication to internal and external audiences has been very deficient over the last year or so. It's led to a real lack of trust in principals and others in the Ministry, certainly following the Hopkins Report, but three people seems to be excessive and over-the-top and would appear to be another example of Government wasting money."Former Progressive Labour Party spokesman Mr. Simmons was appointed by Premier Ewart Brown as his press secretary in November last year on an annual salary of $102,000. He was replaced in May by former Royal Gazette reporter Glenn Jones, and handed a three-month contract on a pro-rata salary of $71,811 as a production associate to the planned Government TV station. A statement announcing his new role at the Ministry of Education last night said he would work along with existing communications officer Carla Zuill. It gave no details of what his role would entail, but quoted Mr. Scott as saying: "As the Ministry of Education, Sports and Recreation prepares to encounter change, I look forward to being a part of a positive new beginning." ZBM news reporter Gary Moreno was for a brief time the Government's second PR officer with responsibility for education during his stint at DCI from June until earlier this month. Having rejoined ZBM, he filed a report last night speculating that the combined salaries of Ms Zuill, the person appointed as his replacement at DCI and Mr. Simmons will cost the taxpayer in the region of $225,000 to $250,000 annually. Quoting anonymous sources, he reported concerns within the Ministry about the need for three communications officers. DCI Director Beverle Lottimore subsequently confirmed to The Royal Gazettethat a replacement for Mr. Moreno is indeed being sought.Action to radically reform the Ministry of Education was one of the key recommendations in a damning review of Bermuda's public school system by experts led by British professor David Hopkins earlier this year. The report criticised the Ministry of Education as "poorly-led and mismanaged" and "secretive".John Barritt of the United Bermuda Party said of Mr. Simmons: "This is a fellow who's a political appointment... and of all the areas that we need more substance and less political spin it must be education. I cannot for the life of me figure out why this appointment is being made." Neither Mr. Simmons nor Minister for Education Randy Horton could be reached for comment last night. Both Ms Lottimore and Ms Zuill declined to provide salary figures for the communications roles. Ms Lottimore referred questions to the Department of Human Resources where salaries for senior public affairs officers are, she said, a matter of public record.