Parents frustrated with a lack of discipline, competency, and accountability in the public school system have launched a petition to privatise the Education Department.

Contacting The Royal Gazette because they believed they had come to the end of their rope, close to a dozen parents complained that their children were being exposed to everything but an education at St. George's Secondary.

And to support their claims they revealed "shocking'' stories of students, a school, and an education system which they believed had spiralled out of control. Beverley and Hav Trott told of how their 14-year-old son, Martin, out of fear for his life at school ate lunch in the guidance counsellor's office, opted out of attending school on fun days, and faked illness to avoid going or staying at school.

But the Trotts did not realise the extent of their son's problems until Mrs.

Trott accompanied him to school last month after he cried and pleaded with them not to send him back.

"I witnessed only what I can describe as a total lack of respect and control,'' Mrs. Trott said about the classes she sat in.

"The children in one class were right up in the teacher's face, saying what are you going to make me do? "Children were chewing gum, constantly talking about unrelated topics, eating and drinking and playing while other children were constantly wandering in and out of the classroom from other classes. There was no work as such.'' Mrs. Trott, who received permission from St. George's Secondary deputy principal Derek Tully to sit in Martin's classes, said she was called out of a class by principal Charlotte Ming who accused her of being there to cause problems. By that time Mrs. Trott said she had seen enough and left the school.

At that point, she said, she had made up her mind that she had to end her son's 18-month ordeal by taking him out of the school.

And despite their strong belief in the family unit, the Trotts said they felt their only alternative was to send their son abroad to school.

Martin has been away for about a month and the Trotts said they have not yet received a call from St. George's Secondary, inquiring about his whereabouts.

`Shocking' stories about public high schools In fact, the Trotts were baffled to receive a glowing report card on Martin from the school a couple of weeks ago.

The report card depicted him as an above average student who had not been absent for the term when Martin's parents admitted that he was struggling in several subjects.

The Trotts said they were still trying to figure out how the school came up with such grades when their son had not taken his English final exam and required tutoring in that subject and several others.

"We've received five report cards from St. George's Secondary and most have had good grades,'' Mr. Trott said looking over his son's latest report card.

"And while it hurts me to say this, my son does not operate at this level. We don't know how these numbers were put together.'' The Trotts are expecting to receive a full evaluation of their son's academic standing from Randolph-Macon Academy in Virginia, where he is attending, and to hear whether he will have to repeat the eighth grade (first year of high school).

But so far Mrs. Trott said the Spanish teacher at Randolph-Macon has informed them that Martin will have to start from scratch in that subject.

The Trotts, who were actively involved in their son's education at St.

George's Secondary and sat on the PTA executive committee, believe that the school gave their son glowing reports to pacify them. And they wondered how many other ill-equipped children were being passed through the school system.

Other parents -- who did not want to be named because their children were still in the school system -- complained that they too were worried about their children's education.

They said their children often came home with no homework and were being distracted at school by unruly children. As a result of this, they added, they noticed a decline in their children's grades.

One mother, who is considering taking her child out of St. George's Secondary, said: "They don't have any homework. When I inquired about it I was told they are supposed to revise the work they have done in school.'' Another mother, who is looking into educating her child at home from September, said: "The problem is they have too many kids in the school who feel they are running the school.

"There are kids who go in wanting to get an education, but they soon realise that they can get away with anything.'' "The other day he (her son) came home and said the kids were climbing out of the bus window because the driver did not stop because they were teasing her,'' she recalled. "I don't want my child to be a part of that.

"What they (students) need is a firm school ruling. If they're not here to learn, they (school officials) have to find an alternative school for them.'' Admitting that her son was not perfect, the distraught mother said she had noticed that he was being badly influenced by other students.

She suggested that parents, who have time, should help teachers monitor students in school. And she said the children who refused to learn should be sent to Warwick Camp or an alternative school.

"They have to be disciplined,'' she said. "They need to know what is right or wrong. The teachers can only do so much.'' The mother added that she did not believe complaining to the Education Department would make a difference, nor would the reformed system of middle and senior secondary schools which is scheduled to begin in September.

"The problems will just move with them (the students),'' she explained.

Another parent of a boy who has been constantly "teased and tormented'' at St. George's Secondary echoed similar sentiments.

"Kids who want to learn there can't,'' she said, "and teachers can only do so much.

"Government has put in place more suspension days, but when you suspend a child it is like a holiday for them. These kids are left to roam the streets to get into more trouble.

"They should be put in a room separate from other kids and given a specific curriculum or send them up to the Regiment and let them know we are not fooling around.'' Another concerned mother said when her child left primary school, Mrs. Ming assured her that St. George's Secondary would be a safe environment.

"But instead,'' she said, "it's been like he's in a den of lions.

"I've met with teachers numerous times because his grades have been falling.

He constantly complains that he cannot pay attention in class because there's so much garbage going on in class.'' Noting that tests showed that her son did not suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD, the mother said: "Teachers confirmed in one meeting that there are about ten kids in his class who are rude and disruptive. He's scared to death of them.

"He's been stabbed in the neck with a compass. He's constantly punched. He's shoved all over. He's been robbed of his lunch money several times. I've brought this to the attention of the school on many occasions. I even wrote an extensive letter.

"They say they've got all these children who need to be in a special school.

Teachers feel they (such children) need to be taken out of the classroom and put in a classroom with special teachers who can give them special care.

"I realise some of them come from families where they are dealing with all kinds of social problems, but other children are suffering as a result of their actions.'' When contacted Mrs. Ming declined to comment and referred inquiries to Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher who promised to look into the St.

George's Secondary situation.

But parents who spoke to The Royal Gazette pointed out that the problems at St. George's Secondary were going on in public schools throughout the Island.

"It's not just St. George's Secondary or Mrs. Ming,'' one mother, who plans to send her son away to school, said. "All of the Government schools have this problem. Teachers are not able to control what happens in class.

"I'm concerned because this is Bermuda's future. These are Bermudian children who will run this country one day. The majority of children in Government schools are black children and it almost seems as if they are trying to keep them down.'' "I'm going to lose my son because of the education system,'' she continued.

"But I have to think of him and not myself.

"It's not the teachers' and principals' fault. They are just working within the system that they have. It starts from the top.'' Also stressing that they did not wish to point fingers at St. George's Secondary teachers, Mrs. Ming, or even the school, the Trotts said they felt compelled to speak out because it was apparent that the education system was falling apart.

"There are kids in this system who can't read and write and they are passing,'' Mr. Trott pointed out. "What is going on at St. George's Secondary is going on at all the public schools, but people are frightened to say anything.

"I'm not on a witchhunt. But this has to stop. If this continues, Bermuda will not have a future.'' Mr. Trott suggested that education should be taken out of the hands of Government.

In a petition which he has begun circulating, he said: "We believe the Government (i.e. the Ministry and Department of Education) have demonstrated to the people of Bermuda that they have been, are and will continue to be unable to deliver a quality education to the children of Bermuda.

"We believe that the evidence provided by the Ministry and Department of Education of their lack of ability to provide a quality education, together with the evidence provided by the private sector of their ability to provide a quality education, demonstrates that the political process (i.e. governmental and union influences) should be removed completely from the education process.'' The administration of each school should also be granted permission to run their schools as they see fit, hire and fire teachers, and implement their own code of conduct, Mr. Trott said.

And he said since each child in Bermuda has an inherent right to quality education, Government should continue to provide finances toward the provision of such an education.

Noting that Government currently spends some $7,000 on each child in the public school system, Mr. Trott said that amount should be allotted as a tax credit to children under a privatised system.

"We believe that it is critical that Government be stripped of its responsibilities of education without delay for they have failed to build and deliver a quality product,'' he stressed. "Rather than focus on the education system and facilities, it is time to focus on the restructuring of the real problem, the Department of Education.

"We believe it is overstaffed, has far too much bureaucracy and now needs to be dismantled and discharged of its responsibilities.'' Mr. Trott urged all parents interested in signing the petition to call 297-8141 after 7.30 p.m.