Government policy, Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith stressed yesterday.

Referring to the naming of the Hon. Jerome Dill as the new Education and Human Affairs Minister, Ms Smith told The Royal Gazette : "While (former Education Minister the Hon. Clarence) Terceira took the blame as the head, we don't think he could have done what he did without the Cabinet's approval.'' However, Ms Smith said, the Opposition was hoping that Government will seize the opportunity to change its policy and Mr. Dill will take the opportunity to be more open and willing to listen to the people.

Referring to Dr. Terceira's warning about the danger of changing education reform plans, Ms Smith said she found his comments "the greatest example of tongue in cheek comments made during this whole period of extraordinary statements''.

Earlier this week Dr. Terceira told The Royal Gazette : "If there is a real change in the course (of restructuring), the Principals Association of Bermuda will be up in arms, teachers will be up in arms, 180 people in the EPT (Education Planning Team) will be up in arms, and the rest of the people of Bermuda should be up in arms.

"It (restructuring) should not be abandoned in any way, shape or form. If the Premier does that, it would be his political death knell.'' But Ms Smith said she hoped Mr. Dill would not take Dr. Terceira's "self-serving remarks'' as gospel.

She also said it was the "height of irony'' for Dr. Terceira to use the threat of public outcry in an attempt to dissuade the Cabinet from reviewing his decisions on educational reform.

"After all, widespread public outcry against the mega-school at Prospect, the relocation of Dellwood Primary School students to the Northlands Secondary School, the trade of the Bermuda College Prospect campus to the Youth and Sport Ministry, and Dr. Terceira's refusal to meet with parents were all completely ignored by the former Minister,'' she stressed.

And Ms Smith highlighted several grievances the public has had with Dr.

Terceira's decisions, including: The appointment of the Senior Secondary School's interim board of governors; The Bermuda Union of Teachers' "on-going concerns for teachers' safety; The National PTA's concerns about educational standards, school discipline and "continuous pressing to have solutions included in the EPT's report implemented'' and; The Dellwood PTA's fight to get him "to listen to their concerns about the unsuitability of the Northlands School campus as a site for a primary school''.

"If the former Minister of Education refused to take his own advice,'' Ms Smith concluded, "I hope that the new Education Minister will be more receptive to the public's educational concerns and tackle these issues as a priority.'' Mr. Dill, answering questions at a Cabinet press conference yesterday afternoon, said the new Cabinet will reconsider Government's position "on any number of issues, including education''.

"At the end of the day, some very difficult decisions will have to be made...,'' he said. "We will obviously be building on the very, very good work done by the last couple of Ministers of Education.'' Remaining evasive when asked if he would now be responsible for the "super high school'', he said: "I am not aware of any super high school. I am not aware of any mega-school.'' And when asked if work could continue on the new high school, Mr. Dill said he needed more time in the portfolio before he could answer that question. All the while, Works Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons was smiling and shaking his head to indicate that it would.

Ms Smith said she was also "very concerned'' by the combining of Education with the Human Affairs Ministry.

"I think they are both very important Ministries,'' she added.

Women's issues should be addressed by Human Affairs as a part of human rights.

Ms Smith said by labelling issues as one group's problem, stereotypes were being reinforced.

If Bermuda continued to view problems such as "domestic'' violence and rape as women's issues, men would not see the importance of such issues, she added.

"There is in my mind no such thing as women's issues, show me one thing that just affects women.''