The Attorney General told a meeting last night that Bermuda’s public education system needed dramatically restructuring from pre-school to the senior level.

Senator Philip Perinchief, a former teacher, said at least three public high schools were needed on the Island in the east, west and central parishes, as opposed to the two central senior schools Bermuda has now.

He also called for an institution offering vocational education to replace the long-closed Technical Institute and a community college awarding four-year degrees. “Too long in my experience we continue to be satisfied with mediocrity,” he said.

The Minister was speaking at Cathedral Hall in Hamilton where a team of education experts from the UK who are carrying out a review of Bermuda’s public schools invited comments from the public. Premier Ewart Brown and Education Minister Randy Horton also attended but did not speak.

Two simultaneous meetings were held in St. George’s and Sandys as part of the wide-reaching inquiry, which is aimed, in part, at pinpointing why less than half of the Island’s public senior school students are graduating with a Bermuda School Certificate.

Professor David Hopkins, from the Institute of Education at the University of London, is leading the review. He told the Hamilton meeting: “The purpose of these meetings is to give you an opportunity to talk directly to myself and my colleagues so that we can be certain we are feeding authentic views into our report.”

His team is visiting every one of the Island’s public schools this week and will present a report to Mr. Horton by April 30. The recommendations for change will take effect from this September.

Professor Hopkins said he wanted the contents of the report to be “as public as possible”. “One of the recommendations is that the implementation is monitored,” he said. “I have a feeling from the Minister that he feels likewise.”

Scores of people attended the Hamilton meeting and gave their views on why the public education system is failing. One female teacher questioned whether public schools should be abolished altogether.

Another said she did not believe the review would lead to any change. “That’s criminal,” she said.

Professor Hopkins replied: “I’d be grateful if you’d give us time to complete the review before you make a judgement on us.”

The mother of a disabled son said schools were not equipped to deal with children with special needs. “We are doing a disservice to these children,” she said.

Another mother said the Ministry of Education had “a lot to answer for to the public of Bermuda”. “It should not depend on where you live in Bermuda that determines the quality of education for your child,” she added.

Suggestions made by members of the public included that retired teachers be used as mentors in the classroom, that Afro-centric learning be introduced and that the curriculum be made more flexible to meet different children’s needs.

Comments can still be sent to the review team by emailing bermudareview[AT]yahoo.com.