Bermuda College.

The Hon. Clarence Terceira said this was the key reason for a proposal to add a year to the length of schooling of Bermuda's students.

"It is the desire of my Ministry to reduce the number of students who fail to reach the standard for college entry,'' he said on Friday.

Speaking in the House of Assembly, Dr. Terceira also said he intended to provide more support to principals and teachers.

This would be done by appointing education officers with specific responsibility for each of the major curriculum areas.

"These officers will have the responsibility of ensuring that the programme of instruction in each of these subject areas is being carried out effectively in all of our schools.

"This sort of staff responsibility is different from the line authority of the principal to supervise all of the teachers in the school.

"It is a support function for the principal as the principal cannot be expected to be an expert in all subject areas.'' Dr. Terceira spoke out after National PTA president Mr. Ross Smith predicted that more than 30 percent of the Island's students would fail the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate exams this year.

He blamed part of the problem on the increase of drugs and violence in schools.

"Those students will fail to reach the 2.0 grade point average needed to enter the Bermuda College,'' Mr. Smith said. Dr. Terceira told MPs that about 80 percent of Secondary Five students graduated with a secondary school certificate each year.

"This compares with 75 percent of US students as reported in the Digest of Education Statistics 1992.

"In the United States, the possession of a high school graduation certificate does not automatically qualify a student to go on to college or university.

"This is also true in Bermuda. Each year several students do not reach the standard for acceptance into Bermuda College.''