Berkeley Institute will receive a more than half a million-dollar facelift this summer.

And despite plans to build a new senior secondary school on a separate site by 2002, both Education Minister Tim Smith and chairman of Berkeley's board of governors Calvin White told The Royal Gazette the renovations were long overdue.

Mr. Smith said he became aware of the school's need for repairs during a recent tour of the facility off St. John's and Middle Road in Pembroke. "The exterior painting was what struck me first,'' he said. "The condition of some of the property and in particular the walls throughout the buildings desperately needed to be painted.'' The improvements to the property include: repainting the exterior and roof; upgrading classrooms, including some electrical and ceiling improvements; some new furnishings; plumbing upgrades in several areas; and additional instructional materials for students and teachers.

After discussing key areas in need of repair with the Education Ministry's technical officers and Berkeley board members, it was agreed that some investment had to be made in Berkeley this year. "We agreed that we could not continue with the way it is now and agreed the $600,000 is critical,'' Mr.

Smith said. "This is an investment that will last at least four years while the new school is being built.'' "That will bring the school facility up to a reasonable standard so that the environment is conducive to learning for children and teachers can carry out their responsibilities,'' he added.

And Mr. White agreed. "We're pleased that the Government has seen fit to allocate these funds,'' he said. "We're looking forward to getting as much work done as we can during the summer, before students return in September.'' "This was long overdue,'' he added. "With technical courses that we're going to be teaching in September and the Internet, we needed more access to the Internet, more electrical provisions.'' While conceding that the funds will not bring the school "completely up to code'', Mr. White said: "I think we will be able to get what's necessary out of the money allocated.'' He noted that the changes will finally bring Berkeley into the "20th century''. "Hopefully the new building will take Berkeley into the 21st century,'' he added.

Berkeley's board plan to build a state-of-the-art school on the 7.42-acre site across the street from the present school in order to allow construction without disrupting classes.

They had originally planned to have the development completed by December 15, 2000. Berkeley admitted its last class of first-year students in September, 1996 in preparation for conversion to a senior secondary school.

But Mr. White later revealed that various events had transpired -- mainly CedarBridge's problems with overcrowding and other issues -- to make the board review the basis upon which the Berkeley design would proceed. At the latest, Mr. White said he expected the senior school to be completed by September, 2003.

However, former Education Minister Jerome Dill insisted he did not expect the opening of the senior school to be delayed by three years. Government was working toward having it fully operational no later than 2001, he said. But yesterday Mr. Smith said the new school -- which Government has allocated some $6 million to start developing -- was expected to come on line in 2002.

Schematic designs had been completed, he pointed out. And the scale of the project was being designed. "We're on target,'' he said.