The Bermuda Union of Teachers last night urged new Education Minister Randy Horton to tackle the Island’s dismal graduation rate — and publish this year’s results for the two public senior schools.

Union president Lisa Trott told The Royal Gazette <$>that increasing the number of graduates from CedarBridge Academy and the Berkeley Institute was critical for Bermuda’s future.

In 2005, just over half of the Island’s public school students graduated with a Bermuda School Certificate (BSC).

The Ministry of Education has not yet released the 2006 figure — four months after graduation ceremonies took place.

The Royal Gazette <$>has made repeated requests since June to the Government for this year’s graduation rate without success.

The Department of Communication and Information did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

Ms Trott said: “One of the things that we really hope he does is stop and have a look at the graduation rate and the graduation numbers and look at the improvements that need to be made.

She added: “That’s something that we have been talking about forever. Here we are in November and they are still telling us that they can’t tell us how many students graduated in June.

“Every year it goes like this and before you know it we are into the next school year and talking about the next set of graduates.

“The public is paying for these public schools and they have a right to know what product they are getting.

“Last year we asked for this information and to this day we still don’t have that information.

“How can you expect the public to be behind the changes that need to be made if you can’t even show them where the deficiencies are.”

Freddie Evans, president of the Association of School Principals, added: “I think that we need to be very transparent in all that we do.”

The criticism from teachers came as the Shadow Education Minister questioned what effect having three different Education Ministers in the space of two months — the result of recent Cabinet reshuffles — could have on public schools.

Neville Darrell said: “It really concerns me. I have been Shadow Education Minister for a little over three years.

“During that time the Honourable Paula Cox was Education Minister, then it went to Terry Lister. Then it was Neletha Butterfield and now its Randy Horton.

“Public education needs someone who will see it as a full-time challenge. We need to have a substantial commitment on the part of this Government that we have some continuity.”

He said the Government had the right to reshuffle the Cabinet but asked what message was being sent out by changing the leadership of the Ministry with the second largest budget so often.

“It’s very, very disconcerting,” Mr. Darrell said, adding Ms Butterfield had assured him recently that this year’s graduation rates would be made public shortly.

“I’m trusting that Randy Horton will see that what we are simply asking for is information so we can really understand and support the public education system.”

Ms Trott said a true graduation rate would show how many students began school in Senior One and how many left with a BSC from Senior Four.

She said: “We need to know the numbers in terms of retention and to see how many students are spending six years rather than four years at senior school level.

“I would venture that the teachers don’t even know and if they don’t know the public certainly doesn’t know.

“I think at the end of the day we all agree that vast improvements need to be made.”