Government is to embark on a public consultation process ahead of implementing reforms in education.

Over the summer, the Ministry of Education is to present its draft five-year strategic plan to the public, via a website to encourage feedback from parents, principals, teachers, unions and students.

The eight working groups of the Interim Executive Board have now been consolidated into four, responsible for putting the Hopkins Report reforms into practice.

Education Minister Randolph Horton said that over the past two days the IEB and its working groups met at the Fairmont Southampton Princess "to collate all the work they have been doing as separate groups".

The resulting four committees will now "manage the implementation of the changes that will take place in education".

Mr. Horton said: "These meetings will be used to form the basis for a strategic plan.

"And we will use the work of today's groups to involve the various stakeholder groups to develop the comprehensive five-year strategic plan that will outline in detail how Bermuda's public education system will operate and what it will look like for the next five years."

"We want to hear from all stakeholders, parents, principals, teachers, unions, and of course the students themselves.

Mr. Horton said that applications have now been received for the posts of three Directors of the new Ministry Departments of Academics, Business, and Standards and Accountability.

"Interviews will be taking place soon and I am hoping by August 1 we will have the Directors in place," he said.

There will also be a website to be posted soon.