Representatives from the the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), the Free National Movement (FNM) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) have joined forces to create a non-partisan political committee on education.

Earlier this week, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald introduced the Political Committee for a Shared Vision for Education 2030.

Members of the three political parties have all agreed to join Minister Fitzgerald for a cause he said is greater than self or party –the education of the Bahamian people and the future of the nation.

The committee is made up of former education ministers – FNM and PLP – and Minister Fitzgerald said the goal of the National Education Committee is to develop ideas that transition into a plan and ultimately policies, which govern education in The Bahamas for the next 15 to 20 years.

“It is not a PLP plan, it is not an FNM plan, it is not a DNA plan, it is a Bahamian plan,” he added. “It is a plan for the direction which education is to take for the advancement of the Bahamian people.”

“We have signed on to work as a team to tackle the issues and the problems facing education so that we can maximise our limited resources. It is intended that this plan will not be impacted by any change in government and that it will continue regardless of the political party in power so that there is no disruption in policies, plans and programmes and funding.”

The education minister said the time has come for The Bahamas to arrest the five-year knee-jerk approach to education and map out a course that will take the country further in achieving some basic mandates.

“It is intended that this National Education Committee will meet and submit a written report to the political committee outlining the vision and national policy directive for education based on a set of mandates given to them,” he said.

“Both committees will then meet and discuss the report and I expect that a policy document entitled a Shared Vision for Education 2030 will emerge bearing the signatures of the chairman of the national committee and those of each of the Political Committee members. It is our intention to remove partisan politics from the business of educating people.”

Senate President Sharon Wilson, a former teacher and magistrate, has agreed to serve as chairman of the National Education Committee.

Minister Fitzgerald pledged that by the end of the year the committee will present a progress report that will outline what it has achieved up to that time.

A final report is set to be concluded by the end of May 2014.