Parents have launched a letter campaign to urge Government to reinstate the Ashay: Rites of Passage programme in public schools.

Dellwood Middle School PTSA is urging families from across the Island to sign the letter, calling on the Ministry of Education to reinstate Ashay in the curriculum.

The letter states: "The Premier and others have often said how important they believe it is for young people to know their own history and to understand their role in the world through the lessons of history.

"The Ashay programme which was designed to teach all children about the values and life lessons which emanate from the valuable, yet relatively unknown, contributions of African Culture and History, is one such programme we have."

It says: "We have signed this letter, to impress upon the policymakers for Education in Bermuda, our desire to see this programme and similar such programmes implemented in all of Bermuda's Public Schools as a part of the curriculum as soon as possible."

At a meeting at Dellwood last night however, chairman of the new Board of Education Mark Byrne said he was optimistic Ashay could be included in the new curriculum. "I fully support the concept which is taught and I certainly favour it if the curriculum has room for it," said Mr. Byrne. "I think this programme or one like this is absolutely compatible with the curriculum goals we have in Bermuda and I will make sure the Ashay programme will be presented to the new Board in the coming months."

Mr. Byrne told The Royal Gazette: "I'm optimistic there is a way to make this curriculum available on the Island to those who want it."

Ashay creator Professor Melodye Micere Van Putten also addressed last night's meeting. She said she began the programme in her living room in Philadelphia, teaching its four guiding principles to her son and 11 of his friends.

Professor Micere Van Putten said Government asked her to assist in the formation of the social studies curriculum in 2001 but it was politician and current Deputy Premier Paula Cox who really pushed Ashay into the schools.

"She was a progressive politician in my view, pushing it through the Ministry of Education to get it through," said Professor Micere Van Putten.

Ashay seeks to instil character-building values, self-worth and also teaches Bermuda's black history. It was customised for the Island's public schools and piloted at Dellwood from 2004-2008. This year however, Ashay has not been taught at any of Bermuda's middle schools.

Professor Micere Van Putten said the problem seemed to be economic. "After dealing with the 'racism' and 'witchcraft', now they're telling me there's no money," she said.

Dellwood PTSA president Ruth Moran told the meeting: "We need to stand up as Bermudians and say the most important thing is our children. We need to let the Ministry of Education know our children are the most important thing on this Island."

Mrs. Moran's 13-year-old daughter Waverley said: "Despite popular beliefs this programme is not racist. Racist remarks were never made or implied.

"I strongly believe this class should be put back into the middle schools."

Angela Ming-Bean, who has taught Ashay at both TN Tatem Middle School and Whitney Institute, said the programme succeeded in the "upliftment of the human spirit".

Mrs. Ming-Bean said: "Ashay teaches our children to love themselves as well as others, it teaches them the importance of love and respect for all humanity and teaches us to stand shoulder to shoulder with any race.

"Our children must know the truth about their past."

She said: "Our children's future is up to us, not the politicians. Don't let them tell you it's the budget or anything else. We should not accept it."

St. George's Prep principal Mary Lodge also spoke, of how children at her school were "still buzzing after just one afternoon of the Ashay Programme".

"Their heads came up and their eyes sparkled," she said. "The children were fascinated, alive and amazed. This tiny piece of history is all that it took."

She said that some primary school teachers were now discussing how to "try and establish Ashay as an after-school programme".

"That would take some of the political spin out of it because parents could choose," said Mrs. Lodge.

Urging parents to call on Government to reinstate the programme, she said: "It's too powerful to walk away from because of a few dollars."

Dellwood principal Janette Musson also wants to see Ashay back in the school curriculum.

She said the framework of the three-year programme — which has also been taught at Whitney Institute, TN Tatem and Clearwater — was based on African history and culture and was applicable to all students.

"It's teaching children about honesty, truth and justice," she told The Royal Gazette.

"I certainly felt that the programme provided an opportunity for young people — all of our young students regardless of their ethnic background — to be exposed to important values, important ways of thinking about how we as human beings need to behave."

Mrs. Musson found out at the end of the last school year that Ashay was being suspended for financial reasons. "I was disappointed that we had to be a year without it and it wasn't definite that we were going to resume it in our system in September 2009," she said.

"But I was hopeful that we would come to a place where as a system we embraced the need for character education and a programme of this kind. This is not a religious programme or religious-based."

She said: "We all know that decisions are made based on what any particular organisation or system feels are their priorities. If there are scarce resources, that's the basis for making a decision."

But she added the programme was popular with both students and parents. "The parents feel very strongly and I certainly support my parents' right to advocate on behalf of their children," said Mrs. Musson.

The Ministry of Education said this week there were no plans to reinstate the programme.