cannot afford private schools, if Government schools are not improved, a Senator warned on Wednesday.

Sen. Norma Astwood (Ind) said that public schools ran the risk of being denied "some of the students it needs most''.

"If we are not careful, our public education system will only have those students whose families are financially unable to afford private education,'' Sen. Astwood said during Wednesday's Senate debate on the Throne Speech.

Many very able private school pupils were already on Government bursaries, while some parents were over-working in a struggle to meet fees.

She added: "Public education risks being denied some of the students it needs most.'' Sen. Astwood also praised former Premier Sir John Swan and Lady Swan for their contributions to public life over his period in office.

Sen. Yvette Swan (UBP) said one of the items in the Throne Speech urged the use of older Bermudians as "story tellers''.

She said: "I've always thought that when an older citizen dies, a piece of Bermudian history is lost as well.'' Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said that the country had gone through "twelve months of turmoil'' due to flawed leadership.

"What are we telling people through the way we govern ourselves as the leaders of the community,'' he asked.

Sen. Lister said that some of the youth sporting programmes in Bermuda were excellent, but that youth and sport had received little attention in the Throne Speech.

And he urged Government to use the Island's network of working men's clubs, which were largely used by black people, to promote sport and as bases for sporting programmes.

He added that many of these clubs were currently in dire financial straits and the extra cash generated would be welcomed.

Sen. Lister said he was concerned about available counselling for prisoners, saying he wanted to know that men were getting counselling and re-training while in jail to get them out of a life of crime.

He talked about the lack of staff available for counselling. "The facility (Westgate) by itself cannot change lives. It is these programmes that will change lives.'' Part of his concern was aimed at the possibility of re-offending when prisoners came back into the community.

People, he said, talked about a halfway house for men coming out of prison and the Ministry of Agriculture had also drawn up a scheme to put prisoners about to be released to work, but nothing had come to fruition.

"This cannot be a money issue,'' he said. "If we do not do these things the men will come out and repeat crimes.'' Sen. Lister also spoke on the race issue, saying there were many forms of institutionalised racism - such as in awarding contracts - and added the area of employment was another important area.

On tourism, Sen. Lister said if Bermudians are to be committed to tourism they should have greater job opportunities -- pointing to Bermudians working as senior hotel managers abroad and not on the Island. "We need to ensure that people are not stuck with the belief that they cannot work in Bermuda and own businesses in Bermuda.'' Sen. Larry Scott (UBP) said polls showed people were concerned about drugs and crime.

"We placed the emphasis in the Throne Speech on ridding society of that kind of fear. It was not showing the harsh face of Government.'' On race, Sen. Scott said: "The Ministry of Human Affairs brings out the question of racism and race relations. There has always been a healthy relationship between the groups, where each group has been striving for dominance.'' Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP) said Bermuda's concerns were drugs, education, racism, tourism and the environment.

"These are not new concerns, they are concerns that have increased. We have to ask whether we are preparing ourselves for the 21st Century. We need to see more action instead of reaction. That is what the people are asking for, some action.''