Students in a home-schooling programme are learning about two important subjects -- academics and the value of having supportive parents.

The Clonlara School is a home education programme based in Ann Arbor, Michigan with more than 7,000 students worldwide.

The programme is an alternative to the GED for students who have not obtained their high school leaving certificate.

And the Bermuda branch of the school graduated its second year of students during the past weekend.

Students are required to read 80 books from a prescribed reading list, including five books about Bermuda.

In addition to the reading list, the students are expected to do 300 hours of community service at places like Agape House and Lefroy House.

And every student has to work on a detailed project called a"walkabout''.

The walkabout is a project where students can express their creativity, learn practical skills, or work on a community service project.

Past students have made quilts and done in-depth studies of building skills.

"One student actually learned all about masonry, plumbing, and painting. He spent more than a month working with a plumber and a mason,'' said Merle Swan Williams, the director of Bermuda's branch of Clonlara.

A representative from Clonlara in Michigan visits the Island three times a year to evaluate the students' progress.

Ms Williams explained that students could only enter the programme if their parents agreed to be involved with the process.

In fact, the school's credo is: "Because home schooling families spend so much more time learning and living together, they can develop deeper bonds of understanding than families who spend their days going in separate directions.'' The parents of this year's graduates were as dedicated as the students themselves. None of the parents missed a single bi-monthly meeting.

One of the parents, Glad Simmons, said the programme provided an alternative solution to the problems encountered in both public and private schools.

"My child was failing in public school, and my wife and I wanted to make sure that our child received a good education,'' he said.

"Our child was more positive about her school projects and less influenced by her peers than when she attended public school.'' Mr. Simmons added that his daughter has gained "a new-found confidence to educate herself''.

Hannah Brackstone's mother, Alexandra West, said her daughter was unhappy and was not excelling in the regular school system.

They considered boarding school, but decided that it was far too expensive.

But when Hannah enrolled in Clonlara School, her parents noticed an improvement in her academics and her overall behaviour.

"Hannah's attitude has become much more positive in the past ten months, said Ms West.

"I noticed that she really enjoyed going to `school' and felt comfortable expressing herself, asking questions, whereas the traditional school would only allow so much individuality.'' "My daughter has learned that getting an education means more than just opening a book, and that hands-on work training is equally important,'' she added.

Many of the parents discovered that by becoming actively involved in their children's education, they also re-entered the process of educating themselves.

Debra Hayward is the mother of last year's Clonlara graduate Dwayne Hayward.

This year, she became a graduate herself.

But perhaps the feeling of family achievement was best summed up by proud parents Glendon and Darnell Hollis.

"It was worth the frustration that we encountered when we saw our son slackening off and the sacrifices that we made,'' they said.

"A thousand times, yes, we would recommend the programme. Now my son knows that he has the ability to achieve if he puts his mind to it.''