A Commissioner of Education is to be appointed to lead a re-organised Ministry of Education and draft a strategy for the public school system.

The Education Amendment Act 2008 — tabled in the House of Assembly on Friday — sets out the responsibilities of the newly-created position, which appears to replace both the Education Permanent Secretary (PS) and the Chief Education Officer (CEO).

The proposed law will also pave the way for the appointment of a new, expanded Board of Education and will allow the school leaving age to be raised to 18.

But it does not mention the controversial plan to create "clusters" for schools — a move which could see the Island's four aided schools lose their own autonomous boards.

The omission has led some within the school system to speculate that the reform of the education system will be carried out in two phases, with another bill tabled in the House at a later date to allow for the creation of the clusters.

The new bill comes in the wake of last year's Hopkins report, the review of the public education system which concluded that it was "on the brink of meltdown", and contains many of its recommendations.

Creating a new Commissioner of Education to replace the PS and the CEO ties in with the report's conclusion that both posts were not needed and education leadership was "in reality confused".

The Ministry has been without a permanent PS since May 2007 and without a permanent CEO since October 2006.

The new post holder will be tasked with preparing a "statement of vision, values and strategy for education" as well as evaluating the performance of the Ministry's new directors; assessing schools' performances; developing curriculum; creating an incentive plan for principals and teachers; dealing with finance, human resources, communications and information technology and negotiating with unions.

They will also be expected to report to the new Board of Education, which will have 13 members, including a representative each from the Bermuda Union of Teachers, Bermuda Public Services Union and the Association of School Principals.

Representatives of six schools, including one of the two public senior schools, will also be on the board, along with two people from the business community and two parents.

The Hopkins report described the former Board of Education as "ineffective" and said any new body set up needed to have more power.

The new board will make recommendations to the Education Minister on the appointment of the Commissioner and the new directors of academics, business, and standards and accountability at the Ministry.

It will also have more say on the appointment of principals, budgetary matters, curriculum and educational policy and will have to produce a monthly report on its activities.

Education Minister Randy Horton is off the Island and no one else at the Ministry was available to comment on the new bill yesterday.