The opening months of 2003 were mixed with both good and bad news in education ? along with great success and even greater tragedy.

The year got off to a very sad and disastrous start when an embankment wall collapsed at Bermuda College in January, instantly killing paraprofessional and young mother Andrea Trott Bicari, who was sitting in her car.

The college and students and colleagues from The Educational Centre, where Mrs. Bicari worked, were left in a state of shock and turmoil as the horror unfolded before their eyes.

In February, the long, drawn-out negotiations over teachers' pay were finally settled when the Bermuda Union of Teachers managed to secure a seven percent pay rise for its members.

The settlement came after teachers took strike action at the end of last year in their bid to be paid the same as civil servants with their qualifications.

Minister for Education and Development Paula Cox broke her silence on the slow progress of the new senior school development, which is to replace Berkeley Institute.

The new $70 million school is supposed to be completed in time for the start of the new term in September, however, there have been reports that it is several months behind schedule.

Minister Cox revealed in Parliament that a greater number of students were suffering from depression and mental illness ? leading to difficulties in the Island's classrooms.

Bermuda College hit back at incidents of crime with a March Against Violence. A number of politicians turned out for the march, but few young people turned up. And at a forum at the college a few days later based on the Island's youth, it was claimed that young people in Bermuda were "spoiled brats", and that was why many of the younger generation were getting lost in crime and hanging around the streets.

In April, educators threw a challenge out to the Bermuda community to help improve the public education system by getting involved in Bermuda's Education Strategic Team (BEST).

The Ministry has worked with parents, teachers, union officials and principals to set new targets and goals for the public schools for the next four years, and is now looking for ideas on how best these aims can be met.

Later that month, more than 800 students and staff at CedarBridge Academy had to stand in the rain after a bomb threat.

Parliament agreed to introduce new regulations governing home schools in May during the Education Amendment Act 2003.

Concerns about the granting of a contract to supply laptop computers to the Bermuda College led to "mass resignations" of staff in the College's Information Systems (IS) Department, a Government-commissioned report found.

The year-old report painted a damning picture of irregular hiring practices, perceptions of racism and a climate of fear at the College ? the College dismissed many of the reports findings as "unfounded" and "inaccurate".

Legislation was introduced in November to crack down on the parents of unruly pupils who fail to support the school system.

The Government initiative followed an ugly incident in which five Berkeley Institute students were suspended after teacher Arnold Manders and former Bermuda cricket captain was punched in the face during a lunch-time bust. Mr. Manders had to have hospital treatment following the incident.