Bermuda's new education permanent secretary will be taking a business-minded, co-operative approach in her efforts to cater to the Island's schooling needs.

"The education and business worlds are not that different in that they both have the needs for the forming of strategic plans and setting budgets,'' Michelle Khaldun said as she addressed teaching fraternity Phi Delta Kappa yesterday at its first meeting of the new Millennium.

But this was only part of a complete message in which Ms Khaldun emphasised the major responsibility that teachers have to "lead children out of the darkness and into the light''.

She noted that four things in particular needed to be remembered by educators all the time if they were going to have the strongest positive impact possible on Bermuda's young people.

They were participation, determination, dedication and knowledge; attributes that Ms Khaldun said she would try her best to display in her new position in the higher echelons of the Education Ministry.

But insofar as what her immediate goals as Permanent Secretary would be, the former senior Bank of Butterfield manager said she would be focusing on forming co-perative bonds between the community and the education system and forming strategic plans "to find out what it really costs to run these schools''.

"Money is a very important part of the education field and we can't forget that, but we also have to step back and ask ourselves what exactly are we doing with this money and what is its real purpose?'' Ms Khaldun also said she hoped to inspire a new level of enthusiasm and commitment among education staff.

"I've always been interested in education because I believe it is so important to Bermuda,'' she said, adding that she considered it important for the Island to have a "vibrant'' education system so parents would make it their first choice.

"We can take what we have and make it into a great product and to do this we have to get creative and build connections with the community,'' she said.

The crux of Ms Khaldun's address was based around asking whether teachers knew the significance of their responsibilities as educators.

"The power and impact that we hold in our hands every day is so long-lasting and so important. Sometimes it's a thankless job and sometimes we forget ourselves but its always there.

"I'd like to remind you what the roots of the word education are. To lead someone and not just that, but to lead them from the darkness and into the light.

"Do you know who the people in front of you are? Our young people are us, they are our future and it is our responsibility to lead them into the light.

"Its a very awesome responsibility and we need to remind ourselves of the many processes by which we can do it.

"It doesn't just happen at school. This leading of the way can happen in various places, at home or at church.

"This is one of the most powerful jobs that anyone can have and it requires a sense of purpose but also a true sense of dedication and determination.

"Also important is the way that teachers can stimulate creativity, but our responsibility and our role is to strike a balance between how much we stimulate creativity and critical thinking.