The ACE Foundation, along with Butterfield Bank and the Ministry of Education, should be praised for launching the Career Paths Initiative, which is aimed at getting Bermudian students on the right track from the middle schools on.

The programme deserves praises for a number of reasons, not the last of which is the provision of interest free loans to Bermudians studying abroad.

This programme is different from the vast raft of scholarships that are on offer for a number of reasons. They are open to students pursuing academic and vocational training and they are need-based rather than merit based.

That means that anyone who wishes to pursue further training can do so; cost need not be an obstacle, at least for as many as 100 students at any one time. That's a substantial number, and it could grow if the demand is there and if more partners come on board.

It's not a bad thing that these loans are just that, rather than an outright gift. This should teach students personal responsibility and it should also encourage them to only borrow as much as they genuinely need because they will have to pay them back later.

At the same time, the fact that the ACE Foundation will pay the interest for the time of the student's schooling and for a year after graduation is extraordinarily generous.

There is a risk that students will borrow the money and later default on the loans. It is inevitable that there will be a certain level of default. But it is to be hoped that the bank and ACE have considered how they will tackle late payments or a high number of defaults.

But that's the only concern over what is otherwise a laudable scheme that should help many deserving Bermudians to get the further education that both they and the community need.

Amidst all of the talk about economic empowerment, crime, the competitiveness of the economy and even Independence, one common denominator comes through. If Bermuda is to solve the problems it faces and survive and thrive in a global economy, then Bermuda's workers must be highly qualified and able to give not high levels of service, but superb service. And that can only be accomplished by continually raising training levels and educational qualifications.

It is clear that the ACE Foundation and other international companies recognise this and that is why they are pouring money into all kinds of educational efforts. Now it's up to the recipients to put that money to work.

Road deaths

Today is February 14, and there have already been two road deaths since the beginning of 2005. If this rate continues, 12 people will die on the roads this year, a frightening spectacle after several years in which the number of road deaths has fallen.

Of course, predicting statistical trends at this point in the year is difficult, and it is not impossible that the Island will see no more fatalities in the next few months.

But the fall in road deaths in recent year has been more a matter of luck than anything else. There has been little appreciable improvement in road manners nor much reduction in speeds. Indeed, the number of crashes and collisions seems to keep going up. Seatbelts may have saved a few lives since their introduction, as have continued improvements in medicine, but beyond that, it's mostly been pure dumb luck. And that's certain to run out.

Recently, Road Safety Council chairman Dr. Joseph Froncioni rightly pointed out that there is no benefit in speeding in Bermuda. At best it will cut travelling times by less than ten minutes on a trip from St. George's to Somerset. And how many times have drivers seen a bike or car race past them, only to find them stuck at a junction less than a minute later?

So it is essential that all drivers take more care, obey the rules of the road and slow down. Otherwise, you could be the next statistic.