Former Berkeleyites have spoken out in support of the school's plan to raise graduation requirements.

Students at the senior school will have to attain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.25 in order to graduate as of June, 2013. The previous requirement was a GPA of 2.0.

According to board chairman Craig Bridgewater, the school wants to provide its students with a higher quality of education.

This newspaper reached out to several past students to see what they thought of the change. The list of graduates include prominent politicians, lawyers, doctors, accountants entrepreneurs and CEOs.

Former Premier Alex Scott said: "It's an excellent idea. I think raising the bar is consistent with the Berkeley of yesterday and while that is not necessarily a criterium, it certainly provides us with a model of what we could expect from graduates in the future that is Berkeley.

"By raising the bar, by raising the pass rate they not only encourage but require the students to be the best that they can be. That was a rationale for the old Berkeley. You said 'Berkeley' and you thought excellence. It's very encouraging and very pleasing to see that the concept of being the best that you can be is being revisited."

Former Education Minister Randy Horton expressed hope that the Island's only other public senior school, CedarBridge Academy, would follow suit.

Graduation requirements at CedarBridge are based on students' Bermuda School Certificate results. They must attain a GPA of 2.0.

The same exams are in place at Berkeley, however the school also insists students meet its Berkeley Institute Graduate Certificate requirements.

According to Mr. Bridgewater, CedarBridge doesn't have a separate standard.

Said Mr. Horton: "It was indicated that CedarBridge had not been collaborated with and I think there should have been some collaboration between the boards and that would have been a positive because the difficulty I have is a child reaches a 2.0 and (in theory) becomes a graduate and then is told he isn't a Berkeley graduate.

"I believe in raising the standard and I believe that there should be discussion all across in regards to raising the standards in both the schools."

He continued: "I don't think there's anybody that could argue against raising the standard and I certainly applaud the Berkeley board for raising the standard. I think what's even more important than that is the expectation of young people being able to reach this standard.

"I think that in teaching them, teachers have to have higher expectations in order to reach the students. Raising the standard is important and I take my hat off to the board."

Tourism board chairman and former Mayor of St. George, E. Michael Jones said: "I have read and support it 100 percent. Anything that is proposed by my former classmate, (Berkeley principal) Michelle Grant (Simmons), must be a great idea."