Civil disobedience, the resignation of the Minister of Education and a pause on the Government’s education reform plans were some of the ideas floated by a budding working group looking to improve the prospects of Bermuda’s children.

Parents and representatives from all but five of the island’s 18 primary schools turned out to a meeting at Cathedral Hall in Pembroke last night where a call went out to “every Bermuda citizen” to form a grassroots movement aimed at finding solutions.

About 80 people were in attendance including Cole Simons, the Leader of the Opposition, five other One Bermuda Alliance MPs including Ben Smith, the shadow education minister, and Jamahl Simmons, a Progressive Labour Party MP.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues of concern and create a different path forward. The audience members were split up into several groups and asked to prioritise five concerns they have with the current education reform plans as well as five desired outcomes.

While only a couple of the groups called for the resignation of Diallo Rabain and taking the issue to the streets, when the ideas were read out there was widespread and vocal support.

Many also supported a halt on the Government’s reform plans, which include the closure of eight primary schools, the phasing out of middle schools, the introduction of signature schools as well as the creation of an exceptionalities school and an alternative learning school.

Other concerns included a lack of transparency and meaningful consultation by the Government throughout the reform process, lack of focus on academic outcomes, too much emphasis on school buildings and a “top-heavy” Ministry of Education.

The formation of a national Parent Teacher Association was also discussed as was a petition.

Rajai Denbrook, the parent of a child attending St George’s Preparatory School, hosted the meeting. He said: “We have had community undermined for almost three years now. By our mere presence, a connection has been made and it's a connection that cannot be lost. We get a working group together and come up with a shared position that we can advocate for as one community.”

Groups also called for the accountability of the Government’s overseas consultants, Innovation Unit Australia/New Zealand, whose contract has been extended by a year, more attention on how to enrich the curriculum, more emphasis and urgency on plans to improve education for students with special needs and a temporary halt to the reform plans.

Qian Dickinson, vice-president of St George's Prep PTA and a parent of a child at the school, added: “This isn’t about politics, it isn’t about buildings, this is about our kids. This process of education reform coming out of the gate saying these schools are closing and these schools are not closing is not the basis of meaningful conversation.

“We have a vested interest as parents, teachers, administrators, members of the community ... For education reform to work it can not happen to us, for education reform to work it has to happen with us.”

Mr Dickinson also addressed “the elephant in the room”, a video that was circulated this week of Mr Rabain suggesting that St George’s Prep should not be given access to research that might lead it to “second guess” the Government’s plans. The video, filmed last April, also included Philip Butterfield, co-chairman of the education governance committee, reminding the minister that the school, which faces closure under the plans, is “not in the mix”.

The minister and David Burt, the Premier, issued a joint statement last night defending the contents of the video insisting that all information that had been requested by the school from the Government had been delivered.

Mr Dickinson, who described the video as “reprehensible”, said: “Let it be clear — the fact that all of you are here tonight is evidence that we are very much in the mix. This flame cannot go out.”

One in the audience asked why a petition had not been launched yet.

Mr Dickinson responded: “We didn’t want to assume anything. We wanted to give everyone the opportunity to present their ideas and concerns as a first step so everyone has a voice.”

Members of the public were invited to join the movement by e-mailing ourschoolsbermuda@gmail.com

This story has been corrected to state that all but five of the island’s primary schools attended the meeting, not all but two. The original information was provided by the organisers.