A third of parents in Bermuda are opting to have their children educated privately and the number is set to rise, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

It is one of the highest percentages of privately educated children in the world, with parents taking on additional jobs and making sacrifices in order to afford the fees.

In September 1998, 6,701 pupils were attending a public school and 3,214 went to one of the six private schools.

But those figures do not account for those youngsters who are sent off the Island, often to boarding schools in Britain and America, to attain their education.

In 1960 only 14 percent of children were privately educated on the Island.

In 1983 the figure had jumped to 20 percent and has slowly risen during the last 17 years as more and more parents lost faith in the Government system.

The figure is now at 35 percent.

But the exodus from public schools has had a knock-on effect. Not only has it seen some of the best pupils leave the public education system, lowering the overall achievement of Government schools, but some say it has also lowered the standard of private schools.

In America only about ten percent of children are privately educated. In Britain the figure is five percent for primary-age youngsters and eight percent for secondary youngsters. In Hong Kong 12 percent of secondary school children go to private schools and ten percent of those in elementary schools.

In the Bahamas, the figure is 25 percent.

Acting Education Minister Nelson Bascome said he realised the attendance at private schools in Bermuda was high, but said he hoped that within time the figures would start to change.

He said: "As we continue to make improvements, continue to look at the curriculum and standards in place, I believe confidence in public education will be restored.

"We want the ratios to change and I am sure they will in time. I am and have educated my children in public education and will continue to support it.

"We believe the future of education in Bermuda is in the public sector.

"We have kids going abroad and they are coming out of universities and colleges with high honours. They are going to good colleges. They can achieve high grades in public education.

"People should have confidence in it.'' Government backbencher Dale Butler, who was principal of St. George's Secondary School for 12 years, said he sent his two children to private school once they finished at primary level.

He said he would have preferred them to attend public school, but did not think they would be pushed hard enough or disciplined properly.

35 percent of local kids in private school He said: "It is sad that so many children attend private school, but I think many parents want the best for their children.

"If they think their child is not being challenged enough, they will move them out.

"Private schools have their strengths and their weaknesses. There are numerous strengths -- one of them is that parents accept the rules, the curriculum is more challenging and children are better behaved. The expectations are higher and children actually meet them.'' However, he said the down side of private schools was that they only answered to themselves.

And he said the influx of children to private schools meant the cream of the students was being taken from the public system.

He added: "If you have all the best kids going to private or home schools, you don't have as many high achievers for the others to aspire to.

"It means teachers are not motivated and children find it very difficult because they don't have the same high standards to aim for. Their standards are lowered. The problem snowballs.'' Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith predicted that the number of children in private education would rise.

He said: "Private school numbers will continue to climb -- it is systematic of the climate in education.

"There will always be competition and there should be and parents should also have choice.

"My vision is that the standards in public education are raised to such an extent that private schools aspire to be like them.''