With a new school year looming, Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith moved to allay parental concerns over Government’s public school restructuring — part of which was struck down in court at this month.She also downplayed the continued absence of a Bermuda Educators’ Council.Dame Jennifer was commenting in the wake of a ruling by Chief Justice Ian Kawaley which quashed a planned transfer of principals from TN Tatem Middle School and Victor Scott Primary, over to Purvis Primary School and East End Primary.A protocol for the Ministry of Education to consult with school PTAs will be formally unveiled next month, she announced.She indicated that Government’s consultation with school PTAs would take place on an individual basis, rather than through the umbrella organisation of the Bermuda Parent Teacher Association.Quoting from Justice Kawaley’s August 1 decision, Dame Jennifer noted also that the transfer decision by Education Commissioner Wendy McDonnell had not been ruled unlawful — and that consulting with PTAs did not necessarily mean that decisions couldn’t be made over the organisations’ objections.PTAs for TN Tatem and Victor Scott schools marched on Cabinet, and ultimately took Government to the Supreme Court, because they were not consulted of the switch, which would have moved popular principals Francine McMahon and Valerie Williams.Justice Kawaley’s ruling halted the transfers for a one-year period.Yesterday Dame Jennifer acknowledged that Government had committed to “wider consultation” as far back as 2007, but said that “the promise of consultation at the time of the decisions was an aspirational one, not yet grounded in protocol or process”.The Minister also declared a one-month extension for educators to “resurrect” the Bermuda Educators’ Council, whose members resigned en masse at the end of 2011.The 15-member self-governing body fell out with Government, in part over licensing fees. A new BEC has yet to be put in place.Dame Jennifer said there was no threat to students or schools posed by the continued absence of the BEC’s oversight, adding that all teachers currently employed within the public school system “have already been licensed — there is no question that they are qualified to teach”.In the Council’s absence, the Exemption Committee continues to review applications for “any educator who does not meet the criteria for licensing, but who wishes to teach in Bermuda”, she said.“Various educators have been discussing the situation and, in June, following meetings among themselves, a Committee was formed with a mandate to resurrect the Council,” the Minister continued.“However, since school ended in June, there has been little opportunity for them to make headway over the summer. I am hopeful that educators will bring this situation to a close themselves. It is certainly preferable if educators are able to rectify this situation on their own.“Therefore, I am giving them one more month — September — to see if they can make significant progress.”However, she said, “if there has been no significant movement by the end of September, I will have no choice but to legislatively replace the Council”.In the meantime, the Minister said, as the start of school draws near, “there is no risk to the well-being of our students, while efforts continue to have the Council reinstated”.