This appears to be the case with Government's offering of scholarships to some senior school students who will be attending the Bermuda College.

From the day the idea was announced by former Education Minister Tim Smith in June last year there has been nothing but confusion for parents, students, and those charged with carrying out the plan.

In a reported effort to curb school absenteeism Mr. Smith promised that senior school students who maintained a 95-percent attendance record, a "B'' average, and agreed to be drug tested would have their full college tuition of some $2,300 per year paid by the Education Ministry.

Details of the drug testing aspect were not yet worked out with the National Drug Commission at that time. Less than six months later, Mr. Smith's party was severely defeated at the General Election polls and he found himself on the Opposition benches.

But many parents took comfort in the fact that the new Premier was not only the Education Minister, but a veteran advocate for education. They therefore expected her Progressive Labour Party to honour the former United Bermuda Party Government's promise, not because they had to but because it was in the interest of the Island's young people and future. However, current Education Minister Milton Scott -- a former teacher -- claimed not to be even aware of the promise which he called a "half-cocked election promise''.

He argued that taxpayers already "heavily subsidised'' the Bermuda College and said it was time that parents took responsibility for their children's education.

But two weeks later he conceded that he would ask the Board of Education and the Bermuda College board to "explore the merits of such a proposal''.

And in late May he disclosed that his Ministry was ready to adopt the programme minus the drug testing requirement.

Sen. Scott also stated that the scholarships were offered in "a special one-off situation'' as Government "did not feel it fair to deny students who had worked hard toward it and were depending on it''.

But his colleague Nelson Bascome, who was acting Education Minister in his absence in late May, admitted that the drug testing requirement for the scholarship was dropped due to a lack of funds to hire staff to carry it out.

Mr. Bascome added that if funding became available in the next budget, the stipulation might be reinstated. This indicated that the scholarship would be offered again.

Now there appears to be confusion over the passing grade. Sen. Scott has stated that students must have earned a Grade Point Average of 3.0 in their final year, not cumulative.

This means some students who have worked hard throughout their high school years and perhaps have missed the mark in one or two subjects will not receive financial assistance, while others who may have had an exceptional last year, will.

The plan, designed with whatever intentions, seems to have left many students and parents, particularly at CedarBridge in despair.

One cannot help but wonder whether the idea is a political football which has gone out of bounds, injuring the very people it was supposed to help.

Sen. Scott has now ordered a full inquiry into the matter.

Perhaps better planning and communication between both political parties, the Education Department, CedarBridge, and Berkeley from the start could have prevented the entire fiasco.

But hindsight is always greater. Hopefully, Government and all involved have learned a valuable lesson.