The chairman of Bermuda Educational Parents' Association has welcomed the Premier's decision to sack Education Minister Randy Horton last week.

Myron Piper, who founded his group earlier this year to give a voice to parents in the public school system, said there had been "no tangible evidence" of progress since the highly critical Hopkins report was published 18 months ago.

"I hope that the removal of Minister Horton will facilitate a more engaged and informed approach to solving the educational problems we are experiencing in our schools," Mr. Piper told The Royal Gazette.

"As Minister, Mr. Horton hired consultant after consultant without any regard for our own technical people and educators with proven track records. We need a Barack Obama-style leader, working from the bottom up."

Premier Ewart Brown replaced Mr. Horton with El James last Tuesday, admitting the next day that it was because the pace of change had been too slow since Professor David Hopkins and his team made their recommendations last year.

Mr. Horton said at a press conference that he was asked to resign and was then sacked when he refused to step down. He claimed some significant progress had been made on his watch.

But Mr. Piper said yesterday the former Minister had failed to tackle the root of the trouble at the top-heavy and secretive Ministry of Education, instead adding more layers of bureaucracy.

And he blasted Mr. Horton for not including the unions in the process of reform by appointing representatives to the interim executive board on education, which is chaired by Dr. Brown's brother Philip Butterfield.

"Simply put the Premier rightfully dismissed Minister Horton," he said, adding that the volume of complaints about the Ministry of Education, from teachers, principals and civil servants, spoke to a lack of leadership and trust.

"We need to see effective leadership based on collaboration and power sharing," said Mr. Piper. "Then and only then will the children truly become our 'clients'."

Parents interested in joining Bermuda Educational Parents Association should call Mr. Piper on 532-2372.