By Carol Parker Trott News Editor Education Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill "is bullish on the future'' of education and human affairs in Bermuda.

And he aims to silence critics of Government's efforts to revamp the public school system and to eradicate drugs and racism.

Coming from a working-class, "back-of-town'' family, Mr. Dill was the first Bermudian to pursue a degree in law at the University College, London and take the Bar course at the same time.

He also joined one of the Island's largest law firms Appleby, Spurling & Kempe at the age of 26.

And he became Deputy Premier this year at the age of 35.

All of this, he pointed out in an interview with The Royal Gazette was possible as a result of a solid education he received through the public school education.

And even though public confidence in that system was waning, Mr. Dill said, he and Government were committed to having a school system in place by September, 1997 that will provide all students with the opportunity of a "first-class education'' and prepare them for the 21st century.

"I would like to see restructuring become a reality,'' Mr. Dill stressed. "I would like to see positive examples of our kids having access to opportunity to a level of education that is at least as good as in the best private school.

"I would like to see a Code of Conduct in schools which contains provisions which deal specifically with violence and substance abuse.

"I would like to see us bring a certain sense of pride into our public education system. We've got the educators. We've got the committed young people. But what we don't have in certain aspects of matters is the confidence.'' Noting that restructuring was much more than "bricks and mortar'', Mr. Dill said there seemed to be no complaints about most aspects of Government's plans.

Government had done away with selectivity by eliminating the 11-plus (primary to high school transfer) exam and there had been no complaints about that, Mr.

Dill said.

There had also been no opposition to the concept of middle schools which will come on line in March next year; inclusion of special needs students into regular schools, and adding another year to senior level schooling, he said.

"The only problem is in the number of students (at the planned senior secondary school at Prospect),'' Mr. Dill stressed. "And it has captured the imagination of the people.

"If that is the case let's take the opportunity and stop and re-evaluate because essentially I think we have a good plan.'' Government can either increase the number of senior schools from two or expand its redevelopment plans for Berkeley Institute as the other senior school, making it more like the school at Prospect.

Mr. Dill said the latter option would be the "least problematic'' since Berkeley was currently at the design stage.

But he refused to say which option he preferred.

"I shall be making certain announcements in due course which will indicate the direction in which we want to move,'' he said.

However, Mr. Dill said other aspects of education reform were well underway.

"We're moving along rapidly in the right direction,'' he said. "We're looking at completely revamping the entire curriculum. It's very much a let's focus on doing the core right.

"Sometimes when I speak about a multicultural curriculum, which is absolutely vital, people sometimes misunderstand that and say if you're going all multicultural on us you are getting away from the core and the answer to that is absolutely not.

"The whole philosophy of restructuring is to focus on the core and get the core right. But also to look to develop the whole student.'' He said the curriculum will also be designed to be "more relevant'' for young people.

"Sometimes you hear young people say I'm not interested because it does not relate to me,'' Mr. Dill noted. "So we're looking at infusing it (the curriculum) with a particular Bermudian emphasis.

"For instance, we have a Bermuda social studies text book for Primary Five students which was distributed to all primary schools at the beginning of the last school year.'' The book was produced as result of collaboration between teachers and Education Department staff in consultation with a professor from the University of the West Indies.

"There is also a civics text, which was distributed last year, and is purchased by private schools as well to satisfy their needs for local content in the curriculum,'' Mr. Dill said. "And the department is also considering a video to accompany the text "This is Bermuda''.

Mr. Dill said the department was also looking at revising the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate history curriculum for secondary two and three students.

"The revision will be placed at the current level two curriculum, with the curriculum dealing with the history of Bermuda from emancipation to the present day, that is 1834 to 1994,'' he explained. "And the revised curriculum will include the contributions of members of each of the major ethnic groups in Bermuda.

"Level three curriculum focuses on the social, cultural, and technological developments of Northern Europe, Southern Europe, West Africa and East Africa during the 14th to 17 centuries.'' The retraining of teachers was also "absolutely essential'' in any education reform, he added.

"It makes no sense to look at new ways of teaching or even a rededication or commitment to the old way of teaching, if ultimately our teachers are not trained,'' Mr. Dill said. "So we're going to be spending large sums of money on training teachers, particularly into the lead up of restructuring.

"For example, we had all the secondary school teachers undergo behaviour management workshops at the beginning of the academic year. The reason why we did that was because last year we had merely selective training in anger management and those few principals and teachers who were trained went back to the schools and discovered yes they were doing good work, but in an environment which was not prepared for it.

"But if you train every single teacher in the secondary schools then that's got to be the way forward because everybody goes back and they take a completely new philosophy back to the entire school.'' Mr. Dill also admitted that mainstreaming -- or including special needs students in regular classrooms -- will be an expensive aspect of Government's education reform plans.

"It is a phenomenally expensive undertaking,'' he said, "because you just can't include a child with severe challenges, whether they be physical, mental or behavioural in a regular classroom setting.

"In all likelihood you need special teachers. You need to train teachers (in the regular schools) so they can be prepared to receive these children. You need teacher assistants and sometimes you need one (assistant) for one (student).

"It is expensive but one we are perfectly prepared to take on board because we recognise that this is in the best interest of our children.

"We cannot afford in 1995 to leave kids with special challenges on the periphery. They must be included.'' As if restructuring was not enough, Mr. Dill also is the Minister of Human Affairs.

But despite questions about combining the two major Ministries, he said "it is fundamentally sound to link the Ministries''.

"Human Affairs is responsible for drug prevention,'' Mr. Dill noted. "How do you do that? You do that from children. Children are the ones who have got to be inculcated with positive values when it comes to drugs.

"We're seeing numerous secondary school surveys of drug use. We know that young people are using drugs. So let's start at the pre-school level and take it right through to grade 13. That's our focus.'' Multiculturism was also another key plank of the Ministry, Mr. Dill said.

The Human Affairs Ministry is using conflict management workshops which are run by a group of people who brokered the cessation of hostilities in South Africa after apartheid; working with a world-renown group of professional behavioural scientists called the National Training Laboratories; and helping to sponsor a diversity skills programme with the Bermuda College.

"So let's go into the schools as well,'' Mr. Dill added. "That's where you teach these values.'' "To those people who say it is too much for one Minister, this business is about work,'' Mr. Dill stressed. "I appreciate the expressions of sympathy. I don't want to blow myself anymore than anyone else does. But it's a challenge.

"The Premier asked me to deal with it and I would rather not say, sorry I'm not up to the challenge. He obviously has the confidence in me and I will do all that I can to discharge my obligations to the best of my ability.'' However, Mr. Dill quickly added that he will be open to any suggestions from others, no matter who they are.

"You will see with me receptivity to revisit and discuss issues,'' he said.

"I'm not closing the door on anything or anybody.

"I wish to work closely with the Government, teachers, parents, and with the Opposition on these issues because ultimately some issues are bigger than politics, such as education, drugs, race relations.

"You will see from me a willingness to work with whoever has a useful idea and frankly I don't care where it comes from.

"I will have no hesitation in saying this was suggested by a member of the Opposition, I think it is a good idea, let's do it. Because the issue is bigger than politics.'' HIGH HOPES -- New Education Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill.