Principals across Bermuda have called for an urgent inquiry into the schools system as new figures reveal less than half of final year students graduated last summer.

Education Minister Randy Horton yesterday agreed the rates made “grim reading” and said he would ask Cabinet for a comprehensive review to be completed by the end of May.

Last June, 48 percent of final year public education students graduated — up from 43 percent the previous year and 38 percent in 2004. Mr. Horton acknowledged the slight improvement but condemned the failure of half the students as a “totally unacceptable situation”.

He said if the system was not improved it would ultimately produce a poorly educated generation of Bermudians, creating social problems for decades to come. The review will involve teachers, parents, officers, administrators and support staff, and will assess issues including teaching standards, accountability of schools, parental support and staff development.

Principals have accused Permanent Secretary of Education Rosemary Tyrell and Acting Chief Education Officer Joeann Smith of being unprepared to engage in any discussions about desperately needed reform.

The Association of School Principals — comprising 26 principals across the Island — said it had filed a grievance over the subject to Civil Service head Kenneth Dill.

Mr. Horton said he was “amazed and dumbfounded” at the grievance as on Wednesday he had told principals he would be revealing his plans for a review when he announced the graduation rates.

“The Association of School Principals (ASP) is committed to the education and development of Bermuda’s public school children,” the group said in a statement. “In light of this commitment, we have taken the only moral and responsible course of action open to us.

“This morning, members of the ASP filed a grievance against the Permanent Secretary of Education, Sports and Recreation, and the Acting Chief Education Officer, outlining our grave concerns regarding the apparent lack of willingness to engage in any substantive, meaningful dialogue concerning much-needed systemic reform.

“We believe that a board of inquiry needs to be called immediately to look at the whole question of the management of the public education system. All stakeholders should be an integral part of this inquiry.

“We commit to working assiduously to finding solutions which will ensure quality education for our children.”

Responding angrily to the statement, Mr. Horton told a press conference yesterday: “I don’t understand that. It’s very interesting. Last night, I had a conversation with the president of the ASP.

“I told the president exactly what I was going to be doing today, that I was going to inform the people of Bermuda that we were going to carry out an independent review. I was amazed and dumbfounded when I saw that they had called for an inquiry. They already knew that I was coming here today to do that.

“I was honest enough to call the president and speak directly so he would be informed about what I was going to do. I was shocked. What can you do when you are working with someone and that happens?”

Girls easily outscored boys in the graduation figures announced yesterday.

Out of 309 S4 Year students enrolled in September 2005 pursuing a BSC, 148 graduated at the end of the year, around 48 percent. Of the June graduates, 97 were female and just 51 male.

A further 12 students — six males and six females — graduated after summer school in August.

With a graduation rate of 49 percent, CedarBridge Academy enjoyed a slightly more successful year than Berkeley Institute, which had a rate of 46 percent.

The principals of both schools are members of the ASP, although neither was available for comment after the rates were revealed yesterday.

Announcing the results, Mr. Horton referred to comments made last December by Premier Dr. Ewart Brown, who told parents at Sandys Secondary Middle School he was “deeply and seriously” concerned about the state of education on the Island.

Mr. Horton said: “As the Honourable Premier stated not too long ago — and I totally agree — there are in the community valid serious concerns about the achievement of students in the public education system.

“This Government is committed to economic empowerment for all, and access to a quality education is the foundation for achieving this goal.

“We cannot expect young Bermudians to rise to the top of their chosen profession if they are not equipped with the required tools — a well-rounded education, self confidence and the support to make the most of the myriad opportunities available in Bermuda, one of the most prosperous nations in the world.

“Regrettably, far too many of our students are not reaping the benefits associated with the Island’s prosperity.

“The latest graduation rates for Bermuda’s senior school students make for grim reading.”

Mr. Horton said he would ask Cabinet for approval for an independent review of the performance of the school system to be completed by the end of May.

The Minister said he would present Cabinet with a package of proposals from the review, and that he hoped “systemic changes” would be in place by September.

He called for the community to pull together to improve results.

“I know that Bermudians like to play the blame game, but that is counterproductive,” he said.

“Some may lay the blame for the overall poor results at the feet of the Ministry, or principals, or teachers, or parents, or the students themselves.

“Others may attribute the unsatisfactory results to inadequate facilities or lack of learning materials.

“Whatever the causes, it is of paramount importance that we look forward and work together in order to remedy the situation.

“Failure to do so will result in a poorly educated generation of Bermudians who may create social problems for decades to come. A paradigm shift is what is needed.”

Mr. Horton set a target of doubling the graduation rate.

“The failure of half of the students who commence the S4 year is a totally unacceptable situation,” he said.

“The trend must be reversed. As Minister with responsibility for education, it is my duty to declare that Bermuda cannot begin to be comfortable until we succeed in at least doubling the graduation rate of our public school students and sustaining that performance for successive years.

“In the review, we will look at standards of teachers and teaching, our learning and achievement. We will be looking at the quality of the leadership, the support that’s given the special needs people who may be in the system. We need to see if we are providing what we need to be providing.”

The Ministry usually releases the graduation results around September.

However, Mr. Horton said it took a long time for research and evaluation to be carried out by the Ministry in order to provide information that is “useful and relevant to the public”.

He said time had been taken to create a new method which could track graduation rates more accurately.

In last year’s Budget, Government pledged to spend $111 million on public schools. Government backbencher Renee Webb and Opposition MPs claimed that amounted to a cost of $18,000 per child — more than the yearly fee for many private schools.

Alan Leigh, former principal at Port Royal School and now general secretary of ASP, said a number of documents had been presented to Mr. Dill, but declined to comment further.

He said he counted himself among those people who had been critical of graduation rates.