An Island-wide programme of parenting classes is on the cards, said Premier Jennifer Smith.

She made the announcement during Friday's visit to the Family Learning Centre which she praised for its work in offering counselling and help.

The Premier said literacy was Government's first priority but then it would aim at offering parenting classes at schools across the island.

However she stressed that any movement would have to take budget restrictions into account.

She said: "Our aim is to get parenting classes at all schools, at the moment we have them at some.

"It's certainly very high on our list. If you want to have an impact on a large number of children and you are limited in what you can do the best way you can do it is to improve the parenting.

"If you can get parents to realise the impact they have then you can affect a lot of people.'' Family Learning Centre Executive Director Martha Dismont said: "We have a generation of young people who express their anger in physical ways.

"The Family Learning Centre has chosen to address this epidemic by rebuilding families on the most fundamental level.'' She added: "During the past few months we have been working increasingly closely with a number of Government departments on issues relating to the family and we are keen to develop long-term partnerships with them to achieve positive solutions for the community.'' The centre's Administrative Director Peter Carey said around 80 people were getting help from the centre in Reid Street. He said: "We have had a fairly steady increase but the main part of this is word of mouth -- past successes lead to referrals.

"And counsellors who have had good experiences will start referring children.

I don't think that the problem is bigger but I would say that people are more comfortable getting therapeutic services. Culturally it's now a more comfortable issue for people -they are starting to see that it's a solution.

"We have seen a lot of children who have had poor academic performance and poor school behaviour. But they have worked with us on underlying family issues such as past abuse and trauma. When they have addressed those issues we have seen them do tremendously well at school.

"I think we actually get a very bright intelligent clientele -- I have always attributed that to the fact that sensitive intelligent kids will act out if they think they are being oppressed or abused.''