Tributes have been paid by the island’s teaching union to Dr Joseph Christopher, a former Commissioner of Education, who died earlier this week.

In a statement, the Bermuda Union of Teachers described Dr Christopher as a “man of immense intellectual ability” and a “free thinker who saw through the pernicious tendencies of those who would use education to control instead of uplift”.

The statement added: “With heavy hearts, the Bermuda Union of Teachers today reflects on the life of Dr. Joseph Christopher. His recent passing represents a significant loss to the education fraternity in Bermuda.

“Dr. Christopher was a former BUT President, Teacher, Principal, and Chief Education Officer. He was a giant figure in the story of this island’s educational development. This union joins his family, his colleagues, his students, and the wider Bermuda community in mourning a man who contributed massively to this country with every breath he took.

“You will be missed brother Christopher, and you will be remembered for centuries to come.

“He was a man of immense intellectual ability; a free thinker who saw through the pernicious tendencies of those who would use education to control instead of uplift.

“His 2009 historical account of education in Bermuda, A Random Walk Through the Forrest, pulled no punches in describing education as a tool for social control and a path toward freedom all at once. In solidarity.”