Public school teachers will be attending workshops on professional development while students are on mid-term break.

Minister of Education Randolph Horton said the move was in keeping with the Hopkins education report which called for a "rapid raising of standards" and said the quality of teaching needed to be dramatically improved.

All instructional and support staff within the Bermuda public school system will be expected to take part in the workshops.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said the workshops will place considerable emphasis on assessment of the curriculum for classroom.

Teachers at The Berkeley Institute will be attending workshops focusing on the importance of technology, community service and sports, attendance issues and academic honours.

The press officer said teachers at CedarBridge Academy will attend workshops on new teaching methods to assist with recollection and reading strategies while Design and Technology teachers will learn more about National Centre for Construction Education and Research qualifications.

Learning support teachers at the primary and middle school levels and will join a host of other workshops on understanding and working with children diagnosed with behaviour disorders and behaviour management.

Meanwhile preschool staff will be refining their skills using their creative curriculum programme.

Some teacher's assistants will attend a workshop on working with children with learning support needs and all teacher's assistants will be attending workshops on children's literature.