The One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) has expressed conditional support for the Government's plan to create an Education Authority, saying the body must be independent, transparent and directly accountable for the performance of Bermuda’s public schools.
In comments setting out the opposition party’s position, the OBA’s Shadow Minister for Education and Sport stressed that an authority with only a changed reporting structure would not meet the need for durable leadership and coherent, long-term planning across a school system where pupils spend 13 years before moving on to further study.
Concerns about independence and appointments
While welcoming the Government minister’s description of the proposed body operating “at arm’s length” from ministers, the opposition warned that the legislative text — due to be published in September — will be decisive. The OBA said the public will want clarity on how members are appointed, what experience they bring and where ultimate responsibility lies for improving pupil outcomes.
“We support an Education Authority that is genuinely independent, transparent in how it operates and accountable for the performance of Bermuda’s public education system,”
The OBA argued that parents must be able to trust decisions will be taken in the best interests of education rather than political considerations. The party pledged to study the draft law carefully and to back measures that it judged strengthened accountability, empowered school leaders and allowed teachers to focus on teaching and learning.
Judging an authority by its impact
Even where an Education Authority is established, the opposition urged it should be judged on the difference it makes to schools. The party cautioned that the body could become merely another layer of administration if it did not deliver stronger leadership in classrooms.
The OBA’s statements highlighted several practical questions they want answered in the legislation and subsequent documents:
- How will members of the Education Authority be appointed and by whom?
- What professional experience will appointees bring to school governance?
- How will the Authority hold schools and leaders to account for student outcomes?
It said it would support provisions that gave educators the confidence to concentrate on teaching and learning and that increased stability beyond the electoral cycle.
| Issue | OBA position |
|---|---|
| Independence | Essential; must be more than an altered reporting line |
| Appointments & expertise | Require transparency and relevant experience |
| Accountability | Authority should be responsible for school performance |
The party framed the Authority as a means to secure stability and consistency for schools across political cycles. It noted that constant shifts in direction with changes of minister can disrupt long-term planning, disadvantaging pupils who typically spend more than a decade in the system before progressing to tertiary education.
While the OBA welcomed the concept of an arm’s-length body, it stopped short of endorsing the plan unconditionally. Instead it signalled it would judge the proposals against whether they created genuine operational independence and delivered tangible improvements in leadership and outcomes.
The OBA said it would study the legislation when it is introduced in September and said it would back reforms that strengthened accountability and empowered school leadership, while cautioning against creating additional bureaucratic layers that did not translate into better support for teachers and pupils.
Any further developments, such as the precise terms of appointment, remit and accountability mechanisms, remain to be seen when the Government publishes the draft legislation.
