fell victim to misguided actions of the teachers' union. The suggestion is that the teachers' union had its own agenda to adopt what was basically a discredited English comprehensive system, deeply based in old-fashioned socialism. Comprehensive education had been tried in England and in Canada and declared an academic and social failure when members of the ABUT influenced the Education Planning Team to adopt it for Bermuda. As it had in other countries, it sounded good.

It is argued that teachers saw comprehensive education in Bermuda as easier on themselves, less challenging and less time consuming. Apparently comprehensive education is a system in which bad teachers and lazy teachers can hide without fear of threats or detection. That is being given to us as the real and selfish reason for suggesting its adoption as the best system for all Bermudians. The fact seems to be that it is a system which serves no-one well.

It is true that Britain was working towards abandoning comprehensive education just at the time the idea was being suggested as right for Bermuda. It is also true that the system was subject to heavy criticism in Ontario while Bermuda was considering Ontario models.

There is a serious suggestion that members of the teachers union set up the education plan to give the Progressive Labour Party ammunition against the Government. It is certainly true that the PLP was able to chop off bits and pieces of the education plan as they were discussed. It did often seem that PLP politicians and the plan's general critics had a ready supply of inside information. If the suggestions are accurate or even close to the truth it is hurtful to think that teachers would care more about political points than they do about education.

Part of the problem with the education plan was that it was supported by the Education Planning Team and by many teachers but could not find general public support. Basically, no matter how it was presented, the plan was seen as lowering the standards of education when the public wants more and better for Bermuda and its young people. Bermudians wanted equality of physical facilities and higher teaching standards and what was proposed appeared to be lower teaching standards in a mega-school where both safety and good education were not guaranteed. Bermuda does need a "road to upward mobility'' but that is not achieved by lowering standards, degrading education and cheating the students. Quite the contrary. The best is achieved in today's demanding world by giving students the best. America and Britain forgot that and are now struggling for better standards to keep up with Japan and Germany and Bermuda must learn from that and create a better system. The public did not and does not accept the mega-school no matter how much teachers want it or how much smoke they create around it.

We have to be careful that the best education for our children is not lost in a political fight. Much has been said lately about what did and did not happen to the Hon. Gerald Simons as Minister of Education. We think the truth is that he bravely carried a tarnished can handed him by his Education Planning Team.