forum in Africa, Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith claimed yesterday.

He said: "I asked what workshops the Minister attended. The answer gave all the workshops. He couldn't have attended all of them.'' Mr. Smith was speaking after he received written answers on the cost and details of Education Minister Milton Scott's April trip to the two-day conference in Senegal. He said: "My information is that the conference dealt largely with issues of Africa and south Asia, in particular the lack of education for girls, and the focus needed to be on getting more children into the classroom.

"These issues appear to be quite irrelevant to Bermuda and the two-day conference, costing around $8,000 I think, was a waste of money.

"That's especially so since you can access the Internet and find the entire conference and the deliberations listed.

"It would appear impossible for the Minister to attend all of these workshops listed and I think he should identify the specific conference topics he thought were relevant for Bermuda and which ones he attended.'' The written answers were tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday by Premier Jennifer Smith, who speaks for Education in the Lower House.

The reply said: "This meeting provided a forum at which education Ministers from around the world determined strategies to ensure that education, as a fundamental human right, the key to sustainable development, peace and stability within and among countries and as an indispensable means for effective participation in the societies and economies of the 21st century, is urgently met by providing for the basic learning needs of all.'' A total of 25 separate workshops held during the Dakar conference was also listed, with the total cost of the trip given as $7,773.