The Minister of Education will be able to choose the deputy chairman of the Board of Education following the passing of a new law in the Senate yesterday.

The Education Amendment (No. 2) Act 2021, read by Owen Darrell, a government senator, was approved without objection.

The bill will allow the minister, currently Diallo Rabain, to appoint a member of the board as the deputy chairman – and also allow the Permanent Secretary of the education ministry to attend meetings.

A third amendment means the board will no longer make recommendations to the Public Service Commission on the appointment of department directors and principals.

Mr Darrell said: “This intends to be a provisional move until the Education Authority is established.”

Michelle Simmons, independent senator and a former Berkeley Institute principal, said while she agreed that Kalmar Richards, the Commissioner of Education, should be “the lead” on hiring principals, she hoped that individual school boards would be engaged in the process.

She said: “When the Education Authority is implemented it might be possible for other folk to be engaged in the process of hiring principals. The more people who have an interest and involvement there the more effective the appointments will be.”