The team tasked with overhauling the public education system answered questions from parents and teachers at an open meeting last night.

Education Minister El James along with Education Commissioner Wendy McDonnell, Board of Education Chairman Darren Johnston, Permanent Secretary Kevin Monkman and Directors Lou Matthews and Llewelyn Simmons was part of a panel at the meeting where the recently released five-year strategic plan was discussed.

The meetings are part of a series which took place to gain feedback from the public on changes that could be made to the plan.

The document entitled 'Blueprint for Reform in Education' puts into play seven recommendations from the Hopkins Report of 2007.

Mr. Johnston said to the audience of about 25 people: "We do have some examples of people who are successful [in the public school system]. The challenge is to make sure that we have many more coming out of the system. And the first step is to make sure that the system is world class.

"We are focused on producing as many talented people as we can. We believe it's possible. So the question is how do you support us as we go through this?"

Mr. James said: "Yes, we have a reform going on right now but it doesn't mean that the system is broken. What it means is we want it to be the first choice on the Island. We want it to be the best."

He said while there have been many Education Ministers in the past few years, the plan will remain the same.

"We have a five-year plan here so that anyone who comes along in the next five years, all they have to do is follow the plan."

One woman asked how can educators get young men to be more serious about education.

Dr. Matthews spoke about going into a classroom at the Berkeley Institute were students were engrossed in the play Othello.

They were asked to modernise the lines, which got them all interested in the play.

"If we're going to have real talk, that experience is not the norm. It needs to be. It's going to require that teachers everywhere raise the level of instruction to high quality.

"I think schools have to begin to recognise that there is some serious rigour coming with the curriculum. Good teachers and great teachers are going to find that annoying because that already takes place in their class."

One man in the audience spoke on his experience as a substitute teacher in the system.

"When kids come to school, no homework's been done. I have to question whether the parents are sitting down and doing homework. I don't care whether it's a one parents home or two parent home.

"Kids are coming to school and they're not focused. We have to rethink how we as a country look at males. I feel like we have low expectations for them".