Former students of Berkeley Institute are being invited to attend a briefing session tonight on the school's new set of core values.

The board of governors has adopted the new values and put them in brochure form, under the heading `Educating Tomorrow's Leaders Today', and is asking Berkeley Alumni to comment.

In a letter to past students, chairman Calvin White said the school had been created with the mission of being "a centre of refinement and a reservoir of learning where all may be able to obtain an education fitting them to discharge the obligations of this life regardless of colour or race".

And he said today, when there was widespread concern over the state of public education, Berkeley was still committed to the continued pursuit of this mandate.

"As a result of a strategic planning process instigated by the Berkeley Education Society and the Berkeley Board of Governors, a set of core values has been adopted that reflects the key ingredients deemed essential in order to fulfil the original mandate," said Mr. White.

"We are confident that these core values provide a sound basis and framework to guide the school into the future. As such, these core values will govern the foundation of policy and operating procedures for the school for the foreseeable future."

Mr. White said it was important the whole Berkeley family "embrace and support" the core values, which were first adopted earlier this year, and asked that they be shared with others interested in public education.

The brochure states that the core values had been adopted to co-incide with Berkeley's anticipated move to a new building across the street, planned for September 2003.

Among the aims of the core values are to enhance the credibility of the public education system, and providing a standard of education comparable to any other public or private school.

But the new standards also aim to enhance teacher ability by recruiting and promoting well-trained and experienced staff, and making it mandatory for teachers to maintain acceptable levels of competence in accordance with teaching standards.

Other values include:

Establishing records of teacher performance and a system of accountability for student learning.

Setting up a system of rewards and benefits that recognise teacher performance.

Forming relationships with Bermuda College and other overseas colleges.

Supporting the implementation of the International GCSE and others, like the International Baccalaureate.

Seeking full accreditation.

Developing programmes that will give Berkeley students an internationally-recognised exit certificate.

The briefing session will take place tonight at 5.30 p.m. in the assembly hall of the school.