Education got the second biggest chunk of Friday's Budget, with $149.1 million to be spent in the coming year.

The allocation — almost $6 million more than was budgeted for the Ministry in 2008/9 — will include extra spending on teacher training, the streamlining of the curriculum and more hands-on learning for students.

The biggest share of the Ministry's funds — $128.4 million — goes to public schools, with salaries for the 1,259 people employed in the education system budgeted to cost $74.2 million this year.

Bermuda College's budget has been increased from $20.2 million last year to $20.7 million for 2009/10.

Finance Minister Paula Cox told the House of Assembly that "structured and targeted staff development for all educators" would be a key priority.

It will include training provided by the Lead and Learning Centre in Colorado over a three-year period.

Staffing changes at the Ministry of Education in the wake of 2007's Hopkins report will see a commissioner of education appointed in the next few weeks, as well as assistant directors to work on educational standards, accountability and early childhood education.

Ms Cox said Government would place a psychologist at the Child Development programme to try to identify and deal with anti-social behaviour before youngsters join the school system.

An overhaul of the curriculum in public schools will take place after a $180,000 audit last year identified failings.

"The central office will work to ensure that the written, the taught and the assessed curriculum are all aligned," said Ms Cox.

Middle school students are to get a taste of what the Finance Minister termed "experiential learning" i.e. practical skills such as outward bound and sailing.

Education Minister El James said in a post-Budget statement: "The main focus of the Ministry of Education continues to be improving student learning."

He said aims for this year were to strengthen leadership, improve the quality of teaching, ensure high standards through more accountability and have greater involvement of parents and the community.

Free tuition will continue this year at Bermuda College, which is set to embark on the first phase of its new ten-year strategic plan.

Mr. James said partnerships with institutions in the UK would be set up so young Bermudians could take advantage of "home fees" and transfer seamlessly to university there. And he said the college would introduce a web-based admissions programme for students.

Government is likely this year to start paying money to the University of West Indies to get reduced fees for Bermudian students.