glance appear to contradict each other.

Former Education Permanent Secretary Marion Robinson declared, at a Hamilton Rotary luncheon, that Bermuda's youngsters were still divided along socio-economic lines.

As a result of this, she pointed out, public school students often come from families where grandmothers and single parents have to work one or more jobs "to maintain no more than an adequate standard of living'' and therefore there is little time to devote to caring for the children, much less to their reading abilities.

This clearly accounts for the sharp decline in the literacy level among the Island's school children.

Meanwhile, US educator and motivational speaker Joe Clark warned that emphasis on material wealth over education will have costly results.

"Show me the kid that is best dressed in the class and I'll show you the dumb kid,'' Mr. Clark told teachers at the annual Bermuda Union of Teachers Conference.

But upon closer reflection, both Dr. Robinson and Mr. Clark have taken a leaf from the same book.

And the lesson is simple, all the best clothing, teachers, and literacy programmes in the world will not make much of a difference in a child's life if the parents are not involved.

Teachers are not surprised when a student struggling with grammar or vocabulary comes from a home with all the modern amenities, but no books; or has parents who either cannot or do not read.

While it is true that many parents in Bermuda are working two jobs just to keep a roof over their families' heads and have little time to spare, it is also true that some put more effort and time into planning a party or a trip than their future and the education of their children.

First of all, the decision to have a child should not be taken lightly.

It does not take a rocket scientist to realise that a child will require the biggest investment of time, money, and energy that a parent or families will make.

Therefore, when one makes the decision to have children, one should expect to make sacrifices, particularly of time.

Parents may have to lose an hour of sleep to go over their child's homework; they may have to miss a favourite show to read to that child before bed; and they may have to forfeit money for a new outfit, car, or trip to put aside for tertiary education.

But as Mr. Clark quite eloquently pointed out: "The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.'' Parents therefore must be willing to pay the price -- no matter what it may be -- to make sure their children have the proper educational foundation. For if they do not, they and society will pay a greater price in the form of social assistance, unemployment, and incarceration.

Children must realise, in the words of the famous Trinidadian calypsonian known as the Mighty Sparrow: "To earn tomorrow, you've got to learn today.''