details of tests sat by Bermudian students last year.

The results of the Stanford Diagnostic Test, taken by youngsters Islandwide from Primary 3 through Senior 3, were a major disappointment to education bosses, with local students down two years across the board compared to their US peers.

Although an outline of the results was released at the beginning of the year, details of individual schools' performances have so far been kept secret.

Two months ago Premier and then Education Minister Jennifer Smith promised that full details would be released, "so that next year, when we measure, people will be able to see the improvement for themselves''.

But The Royal Gazette understands that some MPs are reluctant to make the results public, fearing that such information could be harmful to some schools.

Yesterday newly appointed Education Minister Milton Scott insisted that the Premier's promise would be kept, but was unable to say when the results would be released.

"There will be some information released when I am ready,'' he said.

But Mr. Smith blasted the Minister, arguing that the sooner the results were released, the sooner problems within the education system could be resolved.

"The Minister's nonchalant attitude towards the publication of the Stanford test results is arrogance at its worst,'' Mr. Smith said. "He well knows that the issue of literacy has been at the forefront of parents' minds for a number of years.

"Whatever the results of the tests, good or bad, they become the benchmark.

All of us, including students, teachers and parents can then agree on what steps need to be taken to insure improvements.

"Without any results parents become increasingly concerned that Government is not placing resources where they should.

"We could spend years debating whether we make the results public and that doesn't help our children. We should make them public and, once we do, then we can move forward making improvements.''