Please allow me to voice my concern of children working beyond 7 p.m. on school nights.

Approximately two weeks ago on a Monday, I popped into the MarketPlace in Somerset at 9.20 p.m., en route from the Neptune Cinema to my home in Devonshire, to purchase some ingredients for a cake.

Upon walking into the store, a child no more than six years old came tearing down the aisle. Well, a woman beside me and I made the comment of, "shouldn't he be in his bed?'' She then commented that she could not believe there were children no more than 14 years old still packing groceries at this hour on a school night.

Needless to say we both felt that it was too late for them to work on a school night and that they should be in their beds. Upon checking out, I did see a boy and two girls from Sandys Middle School packing groceries.

I was somewhat surprised at 9.40 p.m. the school children were still working.

As I thanked one of the young girls for packing my few purchases, I said, "I hope you've done your homework'' and she just smiled.

A few days later on a Thursday at 9 p.m. at Shopping Centre in Hamilton to purchase some milk, etc. much to my surprise, there were children there also under the age of 14 packing groceries.

One girl was from Dellwood Middle School, while a boy was from Clearwater Middle School. My heart sank for the boy... if he lives in the central parishes, he has to be up at the crack of dawn to make it to school on time or if he lives at the East End he would not be home until after 10.45 p.m.

Needless to say a lot of questions were going through my head regarding these children: 1. Do they have proper meals for dinner and if so, at what time? 2. Are they able to do their homework and if so, how well? 3. How do they get home and what time do they climb into bed? 4. How are they able to function the following day at school with little sleep? 5. Are there any restrictions on children working late at night? 6. Do the owners/managers of late night grocery stores take an academic or welfare interest in their young packers? 7. Do the parents/guardians of these children take any interest in their academics or well being? After the Department of Education released the reading tests results, I am now a very concerned Bermudian.

I wonder how many children working after school are doing well academically? I do admire children that have the ambition to work, but late on a school night, especially if they have some learning disabilities, is ridiculous in this day and age.

So I hope these children working beyond 7 p.m. are able to function in their academic world as a mind is a terrible thing to waste due to packing groceries for the almighty fast buck.

MARGARET SMITH Devonshire Literacy involves all Dear Sir, According to recent test scores, literacy is indeed a problem in Bermuda.

As a retired teacher I would like to point out that the cause cannot and should not rest solely on the shoulders of the teachers in Bermuda.

Everyone has to take some of the blame. We all have a responsibility to help teach our children to read.

Classroom teachers do not have enough time in the school day to ensure that every child is learning to read. Parents and care givers, afternoon baby sitters, afternoon day care providers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, all share in this responsibility as well as the blame.

Children need to be read to, children need to do their language and reading homework after school. Children need to read books and watch less TV.

In other words, children need to have their reading skills monitored and reinforced daily. It is not enough for the teachers to instruct their students in reading and language skills. We all have an obligation to reinforce what is being taught in school.

In California, where I was a teacher, there are free afternoon programmes for what we call "latch key kids'' (those children who are along for two or three hours after school before their parents get home).

These programmes are provided free of charge by a church organisation. The trained volunteers find church halls that are not being used in different (usually low income) neighbourhoods.

They provide the children an afternoon snack and tutor the children in reading and math. They read to the children and have the children read to them. And they do this daily for two hours, Monday through Friday.

All teachers suspect that some of the children that attend their classes need an adult friend to talk to. Someone that they can trust and look up to.

Someone that is there for them each day. It is amazing how easy it is to improve a child's attitude about reading by simply forming a relationship with a child and giving them daily encouragement.

I would like to encourage those adults with one or two hours a day to tutor a child to consider becoming a literacy volunteer. it will change your life, not to mention the life of the children of Bermuda. It's time to stop passing the "buck''. It's time to get involved! You have heard the saying "if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem.'' FLO A. ROBINSON St. George's BTC's still on hold October 13, 1999 Dear Sir, I know you have heard this complaint a thousand times, if not more, but I really feel the need to reiterate it. I have once again had the pleasure of dealing with BTC's extremely long-winded service.

Back in July of this year I was in the process of making preparations to move into a new home in September. As I was moving in with a room-mate, part of my preparations included requesting a second phone line in the home so as to provide for a line for each of us, and our own phone bills, as well as not tying up one line.

When I called BTC I was given a number which was to be my new number and was given a date of installation, that date being October 8. This was still slightly annoying, as it would mean utilising one line for the first month, but c'est la vie.

I patiently waited for that day to come and it finally did. The day prior to the 8th, I phoned BTC to remind them and to get a time when they would be at the house so I could be there to let them in.

To my dismay I was told that they were not sure of the status and I was given vague instructions to call back on Monday. I called back on Monday and was told after an apparent discussion with the engineers took place, that it would take a further two weeks.

But here's the catch. The further two weeks were not even for the actual phone to be on, that was just for the necessary outside work to be done on the road.

Then they were supposedly going to contact me and let me know when the actual installation and activation would be! Ha,Ha, what a joke.

The system at BTC is obviously very inefficient. When someone is given a date the instructions for any outside work or additional work needed should then be issued.

That outside work for my line should have long been done. You don't wait until the actual day and then say, "oh, maybe we should start the process now''.

They might as well not even bother giving dates, they should just say it will get done sometime.

I know I am not the only one who has experienced the frustration of this type of situation, I have heard similar complaints from many people. One of my friends actually waited 11 months to get a second line installed and when they finally got around to it, she was moving again! This type of service is unacceptable! I can fully understand that the company might have a lot of work to be done. But don't try and tell me that it takes over four months to complete the outside line work and that you are then going to delay it further! If anyone would like to give me a perfectly good explanation as to why it would take a further two weeks to do the outside work, now that Telco is already late on the date which they gave me, feel free to step forward and speak.

My father was a dedicated employee of BTC for 35 years and has worked in almost every aspect of field work, so I know it doesn't take two weeks to do what needs to be done! My message to the telephone company is: just because they have a monopoly on local phone service in Bermuda, it doesn't give them the right to procrastinate as long as they wish, and deliver completely inefficient service.

Jennifer Stervinou Paget Tag Day kudos October 11, 1999 Dear Sir, On behalf of the Committee of 25, I would like to express our appreciation to all those persons who assisted in our Tag Day on August 20, 1999.

We received a total of $16,428.59 in cash donations from all around the Island.

It was a magnificent effort and we are deeply indebted to all those that took part - the taggers, as well as those working behind the scenes. We particularly applaud those who came out early in the morning; the cashiers who counted the cash accurately and expeditiously; those members of the Committee who organised the out-lying districts; and to those members of the public who gave so generously.

To all, a job well done and our sincere thanks to all of you. Because of your efforts we are able to assist over a hundred children and their families each year.

God Bless you.

THE COMMITTEE OF 25