The Ministry of Education has defended controversial legislation forcing parents to participate in their children?s school activities, saying the Education Amendment Act is setting the standard of performance for all members of the population ? not just black, working class, or single-parent families.

Hitting back at claims the legislation only applies to parents whose children are in public schools, who are predominantly black or working class, and not children are in the private school system, the Ministry issued a statement clarifying its position.

It said the Minister of Education has only limited power over the private schools.

?(W)hen it comes to the day-to-day running of that private school, like any other private enterprise it is subject to its own internal checks and balances,? the Press statement said.

?We are not seeking to be unduly punitive but to encourage parental involvement.

?(The legislation) will provide an increased incentive for those parents who may not have been active to decide that they will be active ? whether they are single parents or not.

?There is no presumption about the quality of parents in either public or private schools. We are proud of the many positive role models that we have as parents in the public school system and are certain they can stand comparison with any parent in the private school system.

?However, in any population, regardless of its racial group, socio-economic status or income bracket, there can be found adults who do not abide by the standards that are expected of them and it is this group that the legislation is designed to address.?

The Education Amendment Act forces parents to take part in several school activities. If they do not, the principal can order them to take parenting classes. If they fail to attend the classes, they can be dragged into court and fined up to $200.

On Tuesday, the Black Alliance issued a statement calling on the Senate to reject the the legislation on several grounds ? not merely on the implication they say it makes towards parents in the public school system.

The organisation also noted it would be difficult for single parents especially to meet the time requirements, and said there was no supporting legislation forcing employers to give parents time off work to do so. The legislation, they said, seemed to target parents as scapegoats for the failing public education system, and they called for licensing for teachers.

The Black Alliance also questioned research supporting the idea that a parent attending a field trip, for example, will benefit a child.

However, while the Ministry valued the opportunity for a healthy dialogue, it said the suggestion of a slur against single parents was ?unreasonable?, stating that single parents were among the most active in the Parent Teacher Association.

?If there are reasons why parents cannot be present, and this has been communicated to the principal and appropriate alternate arrangements put into place, then these parents are not likely to even be affected by this legislation,? the Ministry said.

?Alternate arrangements can be made for the parents to ensure that there is at least one significant adult, such as a god-parent or a grandparent, who can be present and involved in the school. This involvement can have positive effects on both behaviour and attendance.?

The Bermuda Employers Council and the Chamber of Commerce were both informed of the legislation, the Ministry said.

?Employers are stakeholders in public education too, and we would expect parents and their employers to continue to reach workable arrangements. Scores of parents already do this.?

Referring to the licensing of teachers, the Bermuda Educators Council Act 2002 ?made provision for the licensing of teachers?, said the Ministry.

The Council is currently meeting on the details of this licensing, and ?we expect that these will be implemented in the near future?.

The Ministry also pointed to the world-wide statistics clearly showing students whose families are involved in their education had a higher success rate.

In the past 15 months the Ministry has also spoken with education and mentoring groups on the Island and their responses have been ?integrated as appropriate? into the legislation.

?This legislation focuses on only one aspect of the whole,? said the statement.

?It is not, and never was, intended to be a one-size fits all solution to the challenges we face in public education.

?It is, however, a fundamental principle and recurrent theme in meetings with educators that parents have an integral and important role to play in supporting schools and students.?