building of the mega school at Prospect. The public no longer seems to know what exactly is going on in education yet mega school building is going ahead at Prospect. The attitude of Government now seems to be a defiant "public be damned''. There are growing reports on the street that the mega school, as it is now conceived, will be abandoned. Then too there are many people who simply assume that we are not going to have the mega school yet there is no indication from Government that such is the case.

In the meantime Bermuda is so distracted by the new school system and by the debate on Independence that the existing schools growing problems' appear to be being ignored. We think Sen. Milton Scott is making great sense about problems in the schools. The Bermuda Union of Teachers' general secretary is in a position to know what goes on in the schools and is now joining the Shadow Minister of Education, Ms Jennifer Smith, and principal Mr. Dale Butler in making the best sense in Bermuda today on education.

Sen. Scott has said that there should be zero tolerance of violence in schools. We hope he has the same opinion on drugs. Sen. Scott talked of violence against teachers and students, saying the situation is worse than it seems because most of the incidents go unreported and the number of incidents is growing. Senator Scott's statements should alarm us all.

For many years there has been cause to be proud of Bermuda's students.

Generally they have been well behaved and local reports have been much more favourable than the sad stories from overseas. A large number of our students have gone on to higher education of one sort or another, many of them backed by hard sacrifice on the part of their parents. Visitors constantly comment on the good behaviour and courtesy of Bermuda's students on public buses.

But things have been changing and while we do not think the problem is anything close to the horror stories from overseas it is bad enough and acts of violence and knives in schools are out of character for Bermuda's students.

Whenever there is a public plan for major change and whenever there is uncertainty about the future, there is a spin-off effect which leads to unsettled conditions. That is true of the debate on Independence. That is true of changes in education. We think that today's students are concerned about their future and probably feel neglected and deprived of the millions being spent on the future mega school.

The real message being sent by Senator Scott and Mr. Butler is that Bermuda should get down to basics, create order in the schools and teach the students.

The message seems to be simple but its application might not be easy. Once students think bad behaviour has been condoned, it may be difficult to change.