"social promotion'' is to end should be welcomed by all who care about public education.

Sen. Scott said on Monday that the practice -- which sees children who are falling behind in their studies promoted so they remain with children their own age -- will end in the next school year.

Part of the reason behind the decision is the fact that all primary one students next year will be in smaller classes in which children who do fall behind get extra attention and support.

And Sen. Scott has also promised that teachers will get the additional training they need in order to help children who are struggling; that should, at least in theory, cut down on the number of children who are held back.

Perhaps the most important -- and radical -- move Sen. Scott is making is the pledge that where schools or individual classes produce unsatisfactory results, the teachers and the principal will be held accountable.

This is perhaps the most important factor; once confirmed in their positions, teachers often have life-long tenure, regardless of their performance. That's good as a form of job security in a stressful and invariably under-paid profession, but it's bad when the teacher is clearly failing. There have been occasions in the past when it has taken a threat by all parents in a class to have a teacher moved, and even then the teacher has gone to another school, or even landed at the Department of Education.

What is not yet clear is now Sen. Scott intends to measure performance or how staff will be reprimanded -- or assisted -- when they fail to measure up.

Nor is it entirely clear what will happen to children who fail to make the grade. With the best will in the world, some children simply learn more slowly than others, and in these cases, holding them back may be the best answer.

What they lose from not being with children who are precisely the same age, they gain by having a second chance. Promotion would simply mean that they would fall further and further behind.

But Sen. Scott -- and Premier Jennifer Smith who started the ball rolling by ordering smaller class sizes -- deserves credit for this. A combination of greater support and higher standards for pupils and teachers is a great start to improving the Island's schools.

SETTLED AT LAST EDT Settled at last Compromises aimed at pleasing everyone often have the effect of satisfying no one.

The Bermuda College's decision to extend Dr. Donald Peters' tenure as Vice President for another 16-odd months and then have Dr. Larita Alford take over looks like a good solution to an intractable problem.

Those who believed that Dr. Peters' services were still needed have got their wish and those who felt Dr. Alford had the right, as a qualified Bermudian, to the job will now know that she is to get her chance.

Now all involved should work together to heal the wounds caused by this unpleasant fight and to get on with their jobs: making the College an even better institution than it is now.