do not want to see condoms in schools.

And at least one principal said she will be writing to Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness to stress her opposition.

Mr. Edness, last month, said he was considering a plan to make condoms available in high schools in light of the Island's increasing statistics of teenage pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases including AIDS.

"It is a fact that many young people are sexually active,'' he said, "and if they are sexually active, then one of the things they ought to know is how to protect themselves.'' While admitting that the best way to be educated about sex was in the home, Mr. Edness said he would accept a policy of having condoms available in the principal's office or some place in the school where students can get them without embarrassment.

However, Mr. Edness said he wanted to be sure the idea was supported.

But if The Royal Gazette's informal poll of principals yesterday reflected the views of all, condoms will never be available in Bermuda's schools.

Mount St. Agnes Academy's headmistress Sister Judith Rollo said she was staunchly against the idea.

"(By having condoms) we are absolutely encouraging a very promiscuous generation of youths to go against God's laws,'' she said.

"And I have full intention of writing the Minister after our graduation ceremony.'' Sister Judith said instead of providing condoms, Bermuda needed "a responsible adult society''.

"We have an adult society that is very irresponsible,'' she said, "including the Gazette for publishing some of the garbage they do.'' Principals of public schools also shared Sister Judith's view.

"Morally it would be wrong to place condoms in schools,'' Northlands' principal Mr. Warren Jones said, giving his personal view.

"As a Christian I have to follow teachings of my Bible. Therefore, I would totally be against giving them out.

"I feel we should set examples as adults. We see enough problems in our community.'' Mr. Jones said while he was aware some youngsters were sexually active, making condoms available to them was not the answer.

Instead, he said, "we should be looking at changing their attitude''.

But he said this was a community problem, not one for schools.

Schools had already taken over in the area of discipline where parents failed, he said.

"Now if parents are not teaching morals, are we saying let's give up on that and leave it to schools?'' Mr. Jones said the community needed to look at what was being done in the area of AIDS education and "to continue hammering home the dangers''.

St. George's Secondary principal Mr. Dale Butler said deciding whether a student has access to condoms was the parent's responsibility.

"That's something that has to remain in the hands of parents,'' he said.

"That should be something that is part of the parent-child relationship.

"Our main responsibility has to be about loving, respecting and preparing children for the future.

"We educate children about personal health issues and AIDS, but the responsibility for distribution of condoms needs to belong with parents.'' Mr. Butler said one aspect of the issue that had not been addressed was who takes the blame if a condom is defective and a child becomes pregnant or HIV-infected.

"If the child says I received the condom from the schools and gets pregnant or AIDS who is to blame for the defective condom? I don't need that responsibility,'' he said. "That responsibility belongs in the home. If not, soon we're going to be asking schools to house their young ones.'' Mr. Butler said the matter may come up at the school's PTA meeting on Monday.

Bermuda High for Girls principal Mr. Jack Wright said since his school is just for females it does not and would not have condoms.

Berkeley Institute is also understood to be against such an idea.

But, Mr. Edness said while the argument that making condoms available will leave schools open to criticism that they are encouraging youngsters to be promiscuous and have sex was a valid one, "the country has to discuss this''.

He said he hoped that Bermudians would come down on the side of assuring that both condoms and counselling are available to children who are going to have sex.

The Advertising and Publicity Association of Bermuda is working on a scheme to encourage Bermudians, particularly young people, to be more careful about their lifestyles and to practise safer sex.

Mr. Edness said it is hoped that the multi-media AIDS prevention campaign will be ready when the school term begins in September.