Elvin James' return as Education Minister has won the backing of Board of Education member and Government MP Ashfield DeVent.

Mr. DeVent said Mr. James' monthlong absence from the job — in the aftermath of the Minister's public call for Premier Ewart Brown to resign — was unlikely to have done too much damage to the drive to turn around the education system.

"I'm extremely pleased to see him come back," said Mr. DeVent yesterday. I think the Education Board is making some real positive moves towards improving the education system. One of the issues that's concerned me was the interim period, where there's been a loss of a full-time Minister.

"I'm hoping now that with his return he can quickly begin to put the vision of the board out to the public."

The Board of Education was appointed by Mr. James in March to steer the overhaul of the public school system in response to the damning Hopkins Report.

Changes being planned include the implementation of the Cambridge International Curriculum, which will be brought into three schools this fall on a pilot basis and rolled out across all Government schools in 2010. "We are on a good direction to really make the education system work," said Mr. DeVent.

In July, Mr. James called for Dr. Brown to step down because of his secretive Uighurs actions and attempt to pass the controversial gaming bill behind the backs of Progressive Labour Party backbenchers who opposed it.

At that time, Mr. James said he was responding to calls from disgruntled constituents who were not happy with the Premier. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Brown announced Mr. James was no longer in his Cabinet. Neither has responded when asked by this newspaper what has changed in their relationship since, although Mr. James told ZBM news that he has welcomed an olive branch from Dr. Brown.

The Premier's Press Secretary Glenn Jones has failed to respond over the past two days when asked what Dr. Brown intends to do with the Health Minister position made vacant by the death of Nelson Bascome last month and held on a temporary basis by Minister without Portfolio Walter Roban.

Several backbenchers have told The Royal Gazette they think he will have a tough job filling it, with experienced contenders unwilling to join Dr. Brown's team.

Former Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler, who quit after Dr. Brown's Uighurs move, yesterday dismissed a rumour that he is set to follow Mr. James back to Cabinet. "That's not correct at all," said Mr. Butler.