seems to be bogged down in staff hiring. It does seem very strange that no-one thought to work out a blueprint for the hiring with the teachers' union until this late stage. It should have been very clear to everyone that the demands of restructuring the system would cause complaints.

After all, this education restructuring has not been without human problems.

It cost one Minister of Education both his Cabinet post and his House of Assembly seat and it cost a second his Cabinet post. There have been repeated call for the Permanent Secretary for Education to be replaced. The present minister must have known when he accepted the job that it has been a long time since any Education Minister survived the job with any kind of future. Just ask William Cox, George Thomas, Gerald Simons or Clarence Terceira.

We have great sympathy with Mr. Garry Madeiros, the chairman of the board of the new Cedarbridge Academy, who wants to get on with his job and get the school going efficiently and on time. He has a tough and demanding job and the new school has great challenges. Speaking of the delay caused in the selection process, Mr. Madeiros is quoted as saying: "It is outrageous because we, as a community, should want to ensure that we have the best people possible to fill the position as deputy principals.'' We agree with Mr. Madeiros that Bermuda should want the best and we believe that applies to every sphere because we think Bermuda always deserves the best. Why should Bermuda settle for anything less? In the case of the highly controversial Cedarbridge Academy, it must have the best when it opens because it must be given a fair chance to do the job it was planned to do. If Cedarbridge fails, and we have expressed our doubts about the concept often, then public education in Bermuda will be set back 20 years and young Bermudians will be deprived in the process. Those young Bermudians deserve the best and the school needs "our best shot''.

We can see no reason to object to a standardised test given to the applicants for deputy principal posts at Cedarbridge. The Ministry has a duty to ensure that the new school gets the best. Bermuda deserves nothing less. Why would anyone complain about a standardised test? Fair for one, fair for all.

Indeed, there is a duty to staff Cedarbridge Academy with the best people we can find. Some applicants will be upset, even angry, at not being chosen but as long as the selection process is fair, then we have to take the best for Bermuda, that's the way it should be.