The following is a continuation of Friday's Senate debate on the Budget. The focus was on education.

@EDITRULE:

A character education programme that has already been implemented in three schools will be expanded to six more schools this year to teach students "self-restraint" and "pride", said Government Senator Walter Roban.

A new transition programme to help students enter smoothly into the senior school system was in the works, he added.

Sen. Roban said students were failing to finish school and the transition programme could help students who feel "anxious" about the move. He added that similar programmes could be implemented to help students move from pre-school to primary and primary to middle school.

The Bermuda College has had a 94 percent retention rate this year from the beginning of the fall semester.

"This is a 50 percent improvement over the last three years," he said.

Opposition Senator Reverend Santucci said Government did not put its money where its mouth was on the education issue.

He reeled off a list of spending on a host of important education subjects which were down including primary one screening, instruction support, training, staff development, equipment, middle school support and substitute teachers.

The National Training Board was able to do more with less, said Rev. Santucci, but the education department was doing less with more he claimed.

He praised former Premier and the PLP's first Education Minister Jennifer Smith for cutting classroom sizes but he said moves in St. George's planned by Government would reverse that trend.

Parents needed to be allowed to be involved more in the education system, said Rev. Santucci.

And he chided Government for again letting the middle school boards go un-appointed.

He wondered why only 95 percent of teaching posts were filled and wondered whether there was a recruitment problem.

PLP Senator Raymond Tannock said over the last five years the Government had turned the education system around.

He said the school for performing arts was a worthy idea as was the concept of a financial services academy.

His colleague Neville Tyrell agreed. He said: "The the financial services academy will do a world of good for our education system."

Independent Senator Alfred Oughton worried about grade averages compared to American students. He said only at the primary level was Bermuda measuring up. He said at the higher levels the picture got worse with the maths averages half the US norm.

Sen. Oughton said he was a great supporter of the adult education school and wondered why its budget never seemed to rise even though the allocation for CARE computers had got a large slice of money.

"I think it's long overdue for the adult education centre to receive an increase."

The lack of male teachers in public schools was also a concern to Sen. Oughton who said female teachers made up around 80 percent of the total.

And he pointed out that those exiting the public school system far outweighed those entering it.

Sen. Larry Mussenden said the country was forging ahead under the PLP with education being an example.

He said the financial services academy was a case in point.

"The financial sector will wait with its arms open for Bermudians to join. This Government is being responsible for building for the future not building jails."

He said the school for the performing arts showed Government was leaving no one behind.

Sen. Kenny Bascome (UBP) derided Government senators for reading their House of Assembly colleagues' Budget speeches verbatim and have nothing of their own to contribute.

"Was there no one able to do their homework and speak with some kind of passion?"

He said there should be more facilities for those who fail in the traditional school environment but Sen. Roban said there were several such facilities including The Education Centre.

Independent Senator Carol Ann Bassett praised the work of Bermuda College in taking those who wanted a second chance.