As a teacher in the public school system, I was insulted by the headline in last Tuesday's issue of The Royal Gazette, "Teachers to be put to the Test''.

Once again, teachers are being unfairly blamed for current educational failures.

The community as a whole needs to recognise that being a teacher in this day and age is not easy.

Despite courses in peer mediation, conflict resolution and advanced classroom management, teachers are not prepared for the onslaught of verbal and, sometimes, physical abuse which occur daily in the classroom.

How can you, as a community, really expect to equate the public education system with the private system? Firstly, the private system only takes the "creme de la creme'' of applicants.

Any student who fails to toe the line and does not comply with school rules is sent on his/her way. No matter what is asked of parents, they are willing to give up lunch hours for play duty, afternoons for school fundraisers and evenings for PTA meetings. When was the last time any public school had a full PTA or an abundance of parent willing to do duty of any kind at the school? Parental support in the private school system is ridiculous.

Many community and Government leaders were educated in the public school system, and turned out all right.

So, what has changed? The home environment, the first place of learning, has changed.

Parents seem to be absolved of many responsibilities, especially in educating their children in the basics of decorum and respect for others.

Perhaps, rather than asking teachers to get a licence to equate standards, parents and guardians should be asked the same thing.

Who is ensuring that parents are give the tools to assist their child with basic academic and social skills.

I am tired of bring dumped on.

Many teachers are tired. Perhaps if teachers threatened to strike and hold the Island hostage as the dock workers have threatened to do, someone will take the case of the public school classroom teacher seriously. It takes a whole village to raise a child, but it begins at home.

TEACH Pembroke Hodgson for Premier May 19, 2000 Dear Sir, If I hear "Just stepped out'' or "Just stepped away from the desk'' one more time. I think I will just step off my rocker.

Tim Hodgsons' article of today's date in the Mid Ocean says it all, he so often hits the nail on the head that I think he should become next Premier! as does Peter Woolcock, his cartoons with their wonderful humours and yet so insightful bring one to the brink of dreaming about the next election.

Hallo! -- Nobody returns calls, does anyone care in Government any more? I cannot keep feeling that this poor bewildered community who cannot make sense of this arrogant attitude displayed across the board by the PLP feel they are saying, "Well if we go down it will be with a glass of champagne in our hands.'' The present Government are "Out to lunch'', and that does not mean eating! Where are all the sons who should be following in their fathers footsteps in Service, that was the hall mark of yesteryear -- fire and passion.

Hopefully before it' too late they will rally in time to save this little gem of an island that stands on the brink...

SAGITTARIUS Pembroke Dame should know better May 14, 2000 Dear Sir, Last week, when the leader of the Opposition raised a legitimate question concerning why the Premier had travelled to the UK Caribbean Forum without making any announcement to the people of Bermuda, Dame Lois Browne-Evans lashed out at Ms. Gordon for allegedly criticizing the personality of the Premier.

Dame Lois went on to state that as a woman, she hoped Ms Gordon would stop attacking the Premier.

Dame Lois completely missed the point that Ms Gordon was, in fact, doing her job by protesting Government's lack of transparency.

The implication of Dame Lois' comments is that Ms Gordon was simply being catty towards the Premier and that it was unbecoming behaviour for a woman. It is important to recognise that if our Leader of the Opposition were a man, Dame Lois would not have attempted to discredit her remarks in this way.

It is a sad state of affairs in a country with so many women in positions of political power, that the very double standard that once prevented women from attaining such positions is being perpetuated by the first female Attorney General.

Dame Lois, of all people, should know better. In inviting Bermuda to embrace the idea that the Leader of the Opposition was personally attacking the Premier rather than asking a valid question, Dame Lois did a disservice to herself, as a woman in public office, and to all women.

SISTER Hamilton Parish Get your act together May 30, 2000 Dear Sir, The people of Bermuda must be asking who is responsible for the road sign overkill that is permeating our attractive island. Someone obviously has a fetish for ugly road signs that are appearing with great regularity across Bermuda. This is clearly not the image that most Bermudians want to adopt in the market that we are trying to portray. In addition to this, there is an abundance of half-finished road works and sub standard road works from one end of the island to the other. Come on Works and Engineering, get your act together you are not helping our tourism business.

EVER WATCHFUL Short and to the point May 17, 2000 Dear Sir, As I said Mr. Commissiong, a Rhodes Scholarship may have helped you with your crisis.

PHIL CRACKNELL No excuse for violence Dear Sir, Names in the New Bermuda, is justification for violent assaults. First a taxi driver pulls a knife on a tourist and claims that the tourist aimed racial slurs at him. Now a white man has his head fractured by a co-worker and the excuse given is that the victim of the assault made racial slurs at the perpetrator. What ever happened to the age-old expression `Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me'? Should the courts even give consideration to this type of defence open season may as well be declared on white people.

BDA4ALL