introduced to the public school system next year.

Banker Mr. Ken Spurling raised the possibility in a speech to the Hamilton Lions Club this week that the pilot programme, Young Enterprise, would be extended to all secondary schools.

He said Young Enterprise had been a success in four private secondary schools this year.

The programme, which is administered by Oxford University, is based on a real-life corporate model and is designed to teach secondary students what it means to run a real-life business.

The programme's concept was brought to Bermuda by new Bank of Bermuda President Mr. Charles Vaughan-Johnson, who is also Chairman of the local branch of the Institute of Directors.

Mr. Spurling said students at Mount St. Agnes Academy, the Bermuda Institute, Saltus, and the Bermuda High School for Girls used the programme this year.

The students are limited to raising $500 in capital through the sale of shares.

"Each student,'' Mr. Spurling said, "must own at least 10 but no more than 20 shares at 25 cents per share. The balance of the equity should be raised by the sale of shares to other people.'' He said the success of the pilot programme is due to three factors: link teachers, volunteer advisors, and the students themselves.

Link teachers organise the facilities at the schools that the students may need, and they liaise with volunteer advisors to insure that the projects are "learning by doing'' experiences.

Volunteer advisors are members of the business community who guide the process of development by suggestion and helping students with advice and relevant information whenever unforeseen problems arise. They are also act as role models.

The third and most important group are the students. They are the brains behind the whole exercise, coming up with ideas, conducting strategies and seeing the project through from start to finish. Success depends on their efforts.

"In the spring of the academic year,'' Mr. Spurling said, "the Oxford University Young Enterprise Exam is written by achievers, and those who are successful are awarded an Oxford University certificate. We had 50 achievers write last month from Bermuda.

"We are now working very closely with the Ministry of Education, which supports bringing Young Enterprise into the Government secondary schools, for the academic year 1994-95, and all seven secondary schools are eager to proceed.

"Young Enterprise represents a very real opportunity to bridge the communication gap between business and young people in Bermuda,'' he said.

"This gives the young people an opportunity to introduce themselves to the business community in a very positive way and to learn by doing and to have fun doing it.''