Progressive Labour Party spokesperson on education Sen. Neletha Butterfield asked money to be spent on creating an education system for all students -- not just the brightest.

But Parliamentary Secretary for Education the Hon. Gerald Simons (UBP) stressed the vast majority of school leavers had reached reasonable levels at both primary and secondary level.

And the former Education Minister hit back at comments by retired teacher Mr.

Roy Bracewell that Bermuda's education system is not working.

Now Environment Minister, Sen. Simons said: "Schools exist to make a positive difference in the lives of children. It is recognised that schools represent the most significant agency through which the community as a whole can affect a young person's future.

"Government has greater control over schools than any other agency. There is no other organisation which has such far-reaching implications for the welfare of society.'' He stressed the $57.6 million budget covered 22 percent of manpower in Government and 16 percent of current account expenditure. Capital costs for education for the coming year will be a third of the total Government costs.

Sen. Simons said: "The traditional role of schools to prepare young people for additional education or jobs in the workforce has changed. In the later part of the 20th Century a third responsibility is now being addressed, teaching them to be more responsible, something that has been traditionally provided by their family and the church.'' He said the Bermudian education system had been praised by a recent visitor from the Cayman Islands, who says the Island is 20 years ahead of their system.

The Parliamentary Secretary disputed figures by Mr. Bracewell that many students leave school at the age of 16. Mr. Simons said a survey showed around 85 percent of students indicated that they wished to stay on at school or go to college.

He added that Mr. Bracewell's claims that the new restructuring of the educational system was "foisted on him'' made him look as if he had been tricked. He said: "Changing the system because of pressure brought on by groups representing the whole community is a good thing.'' Emphasising the use of locally produced material in schools, he said Bermudian and black history were major parts of the teaching on the Island.

He also stressed the importance of the Jason Project and the increased use of computers as ways of interesting children, particularly in the sciences.

Initiatives by business and industry have helped to link schools and students with eventual places of work.

Regarding queries over the costs associated with new school buildings, Sen.

Simons said all new college buildings had been built within budget and he expected new schools to go the same.

He said comparisons with the Civil Air Terminal were wrong because Government's initial plans had changed to redesign the Airport.

Sen. Butterfield said she was upset with the fact that restructuring plans had arrived dated November, 1993. she said these should have been published earlier in the public interest.

She remembered voicing concerns about young people leaving schools, "dropping out'' and other parents finding them places in alternative schools at the age of 13.

Agreeing that education is an investment in the future, Sen. Butterfield said the investment should ensure equal opportunities for all students. She said: "We need to inform parents of the restructuring of the education system before parents make other choices for their children.

"In the past the ministry has been striving for excellence, now they are striving to be adequate. That is not good enough.'' Using TV soap operas, she said Bermuda's "Young and Restless'' are now "young and goal-less''.

The hearing impaired find it difficult to gain the necessary certificates at schools, and Sen. Butterfield asked that more help is given to them.

Turning to primary schools she claimed there are now five `R's' in education -- Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic, Respect and Responsibility.

At secondary school level, she said there was more need for parental involvement. She said: "Parents are always there at primary school, but when they are at secondary school they are not there.'' Sen. Yvette Swan (UBP) replied to complaints that there are few counsellors in schools while the Reach Out unit has five counsellors for three young men.

Sen. Swan stressed there is a difference between school counsellors and residential care officers.

She said: "Many times we hear about people falling through the cracks and, yes, a number of our students are falling through the cracks. But we, the parents, must take some responsiblity for children falling through the cracks.

"Parents should take the responsibility back off the teachers. They must see things and nip them in the bud. I know parents are, sometimes, working in three jobs but schools are still crying out for parental involvement.

"I would also like to see parents taking a hold of their children's behaviour.'' Sen.

Milton Scott (PLP) said it was important that students were not lost to the school system with the growing need for more workers in areas like international trade.

He called for more money to be spent on Bermuda College's library and resource centre which, he said, should be a nerve centre for much of the College's work.

Turning to teacher recruitment, Sen. Scott said more effort should be made to retain Bermudian teachers and to keep "exceptional'' non-Bermudians who may leave after fulfilling their contracts.

Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) claimed Bermuda has suffered since the demise of the Bermuda Technical Institute, and technical training should have continued. He was pleased to see a move towards technical training.

Sen. Oughton added his concerns over retraining programmes. He said: "For example the construction industry now needs fewer people because it is now more like putting together building blocks, like a lego set. Retraining people into basic educational skills is going to be difficult.'' Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said programmes for young people were often made cumbersome by the involvement of two Government departments when it should be under education.

Sen. Lister demanded more counsellors to help children at an early age. He said: "In a family of four children, the first one may get into trouble because of family problems. Then the other three may go through similar problems because the problem has not been addressed.

"In secondary schools some of our children are just not ready to go to school because of what it is happening at home. We need get into the home to identify what the problem is.'' Senate President the Hon. Albert Jackson (Ind) was pleased to meet some of the "products'' of further and higher education every year.

Sen. Jackson also praised improvements to buildings and teacher training in the Island's schools. He said teachers faced challenges because of the problems of society.

And he added that many extraneous matters had now been added to the role of a teacher meaning they had a lot more to do than the basic three `R's.' In reply Sen. Simons said extra funds were being added to supply computers and computer software, adding up to a $586,000.

Sen Simons said priority had been given to the incinerator and the prison, but stressed the garbage problem and the need for a new prison had been around for decades.

He said: "I would prefer to spend money on schools and in the coming five years there will be more money spent on education that any other government activity.'' Sen. Simons added there were 14 reading specialists for the 18 primary schools and many counsellors.

The Hon. Gerald Simons.