Opposition Sen. Neletha Butterfield has offered to run an alternative schooling programme within public schools.

Sen. Butterfield -- who speaks for the Progressive Labour Party on education in the Senate -- told The Royal Gazette that she met with Education Minister Jerome Dill and his technical officers last month to discuss the matter.

But she said she had not yet heard back from them.

Thirteen years after creating the CARE (Children and Adults Reaching for Education) computer school in her basement, Sen. Butterfield has moved the school for non-graduate school leavers to the former Base in St. David's.

And she said one of the reasons behind moving the school, which officially opens at its new location today, was the demand for the services by high school students.

"We have requests almost on a daily basis,'' Sen. Butterfield noted. "But one problem is that some are not yet 16. The law requires for our students to be in school until that age.'' However, she added, the Education Ministry was allowed to expel students under 16.

"Where are these children to go?'' she asked.

Sen. Butterfield also pointed out that even if CARE was allowed to take in younger students, neither they nor the programme could afford it.

"The problem is that they don't have the money to pay,'' she said. "And we need financial assistance ourselves.

"The Ministry has to now recognise that there has to be an alternative learning environment for our young people.'' According to Education Department statistics, 365 students have been suspended this school year and two expelled.

Noting that she raised the issue of suspensions and expulsions when in the Senate, Sen. Butterfield said: "Once they (students) have been out (of school for) three months it is hard for them to catch up. They lose out.

"But if Government recognised us as a legitimate alternative we can help get them back on track.'' The private school offers computerised courses, Internet usage, computer assisted instruction for students, computer skills, and the GED (high school diploma) programme which includes writing skills, literature, the arts, science, social studies, and mathematics.

Through CARE, some 400 adults have received their high school diplomas, some 2,000 youths have received computer-assisted instruction, and up until Sen.

Butterfield's appointment to the Upper House in 1993 some 250 prisoners received educational instruction through the programme.

CARE also has a programme called Choosing Success which helps young people develop skills for employment and to deal with peer pressure, dating, and other decision-making relationships.

Sen. Butterfield said she met with Mr. Dill and his technical officials on March 25.

"We've been trying to get this in the education system because it can track over 5,000 students in terms of individual assessments on a daily basis,'' she said.

"They are supposed to evaluate me and get back to me. That was over a month ago. I'm still waiting to hear from them.'' She said the school's new location will allow CARE to take in a maximum of 30 students.

"This is a comfortable number which we can work with on a one-on-one basis,'' she said.

While CARE has eight students in day classes and the same number at night, she added it normally received about three calls from interested people every week.

"We are the alternative as many of our students are school leavers and some are students who no longer can learn in the public school system,'' she said.

"We can start up with the Education Department instantly because I personally feel that it is important that every child should be in a learning environment. After all, they are our future.'' Sen. Butterfield added she has never had any problems with the youngsters in the programme.

"We've been doing this for 13 shops for Government teachers and principals and everyone says this is wonderful. But that is the extent of the commitment.'' Noting Government approved the programme for the prisons several years ago, Sen. Butterfield said it was more important to have such a programme in schools.

It was for that reason, she explained, that she left working at the prison and decided to work with those on the outside.

"I felt that maybe I could do more to prevent them from going there,'' she said.

Also stressing that many adults only sought the services of CARE or other computerised educational programmes after they were replaced in a job, Sen.

Butterfield said: "If Bermudians are to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, they need to get on board and use the resources which we have.'' When contacted yesterday, Mr. Dill said the CARE matter was in the hands of technical officers.

"We left that meeting on the basis that they would liaise with CARE Computer Service and get back to me,'' he added. "Our technical people are going to evaluate the programme.'' He pointed out that there were a number of people who were "trying to sell'' programmes to the Education Department.

He added: "We are not near to a conclusion on this matter so it would be premature to discuss it via the media.'' Sen. Neletha Butterfield EDUCATION ED