Government yesterday reiterated its commitment to improving education on the Island by earmarking more than $104 million of its budget to schools and learning for the coming year.

In his budget speech, Finance Minister Eugene Cox said the Department of Education and Development had been given a $10.4 million increase on last year - which would largely be spent on staffing the additional S4 level at the two public senior schools and enhancing alternative education.

New facilities for children with special needs have been given $1.3 million, and additional finances have been put aside to help nurture gifted students in the public education system.

"Government is passionately committed to raising the standard of public education in our Island home because we believe that a sound and progressive education provides one of the most basic and essential ingredients for individual success and fulfilment, and for the enlightened development of a community," said the Finance Minister.

"The additional resources devoted to education in our first term of office have already borne fruit.

"Mandated smaller class sizes in primary schools have allowed for more opportunity for individualised instruction and the accommodation of different learning styles.

"In addition, improved physical plants and the provision of more specialised support staff have resulted in higher student performances.

"Government is encouraged by these early positive results and we look forward to even brighter long-term improvements."

About $2.2 million of the additional $10 million allocated to education this year will be spent on the increased staffing costs of the additional senior four year.

A further $2.4 million is provided in additional grant funding to The Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy for other costs associated with S4.

The additional year was added to the secondary schools last September, meaning that students in Bermuda are now on the same footing as North American students in terms of the total number of years devoted to pre-tertiary-level schooling.

But funding for special needs and gifted students was also set aside for education this year as the Ministry of Education and Development seeks to ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities and skills, are accounted for.

Mr. Cox said: "The Education Ministry budget also includes provision for additional staff to nurture gifted students in the public education system and funding for additional information technology support staff to assist with the complete rollout of the Bermuda Technology Education Collaborative (BTEC) initiative.

"Every essential element of education has been bolstered by this year's budget, including staff development (+$484,000), students with behavioural challenges (+$473,000), enhanced summer school initiative (+$100,000),support for principals and an increased allowance for teachers' materials (+$175,000)."

The Educational Centre (TEC), which educates children with behavioural problems, has been given additional funding this year after a number of students were taken out of mainstream secondary schools last September and transferred there, instead.

Additional funding is also being spent on behaviour at the primary and pre-school levels, along with enrichment facilities for talented students, counselling services, instructional support, and hearing and vision.

But following on from last year, when Government said it wanted to concentrate its efforts on teachers, this year's budget also sees a total increase of $693,000 for staff development, $484,000 of which has come from the additional $10 million injected into the Ministry.

Buildings, grounds and equipment is also to be given a boost this year, along with the amount of money spent on substitute teachers.

As part of the Education budget this year, Bermuda College is to be given $13.35 million, and the libraries, a total of $1.8 million.

Neither Education Minister Paula Cox or Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith were available for comment yesterday.