Bermuda's middle schools are in danger of breeding under-achievers according to a report leaked to The Royal Gazette.

And it sounded more alarm bells about poor standards of literacy in the schools which cater for 11-13 year-olds.

The study, conducted by three US academics in June 2000, found teachers all too happy to allow students to copy blackboard notes or complete worksheets.

The survey said: "As a whole the professional staff of the Bermuda middle schools views and treats adolescents as much less capable than they really are."While students are generally told what to do, their level of initiative is much lower than it should be. The biggest problem seems to be that the curriculum is not intellectually stimulating."

The report, which followed an initial survey in 1998, recognised efforts had been made on literacy in the subsequent two years.

But it said: "The results have been the same - large numbers of students who score significantly below their grade levels on all standardised tests." It said more support was needed from the Department of Education.

Also urged was increased time spent on reading including making it a separate subject, the setting up a group of island-wide reading specialists and hiring reading teachers to work with teachers and run reading classes. The study, made before Education Minister Milton Scott's September 2000 pledge to spend $750,000 on upgrading school computers, made a withering attack on the technology standards in middle schools.

It said: "The condition of the hardware is appalling. "In one middle school's core lab the computers have not worked since 1997 and the lab is basically unusable." Senator Scott said last night said computers were already there to a large extent.

However, it was not clear whether his programme would match the report's call for at least four computers, one printer, a VCR and an overhead projector in each classroom.

The report also called for the hiring of a lab technician for each school.

It praised the five school principals for being excellent leaders with a wealth of knowledge and said staff had shown "exemplary commitment and energy in the first few years of middle school implementation".

But it also advocated the creation of a middle schools co-ordinator to breathe new life into the concept after initial enthusiasm had dimmed.

It said without proper support early progress would be lost and serious problems like literacy and technology will become even worse.

It backed the reduction of subjects already announced by Education Minister Milton Scott.

The report said that students should be encouraged to make connections between individual subjects as well as between subjects and separate projects. It also recommended students own interests be exploited to draw them into learning. More involvement from parents and the corporate world was suggested with a mentoring scheme for pupils also being urged. Asked about the report's findings Senator Scott said: "It speaks for itself.

"We are addressing it. There is a strategic plan that will follow it."

He said teachers and principals would be consulted before the plan was implemented in September this year.