mission has always been to provide a high level of education for the people of Bermuda.

Principal and former student Mrs. Michelle Gabisi stressed this to The Royal Gazette .

In fact, she noted, some of the founders of the school were white.

"The first constitutional chairman of the Berkeley Educational Society was a white Anglican Minister. He was the rector of the St. John's Church in Pembroke. In fact the name of the school is after Bishop George Berkeley from Cloyne in Ireland. He was white.'' And while noting that the majority of the founders of the school were so-called "coloured'' men, Mrs. Gabisi -- pointing to information in the late Dr. Kenneth Robinson's book "The Berkeley Educational Society's Origins and Early History'' said: "They too had a commitment to founding an educational institution which crossed racial lines. They were interested in seeing the races come together. So there was never any intention on the part of the founding fathers that this should be a black school.'' She also noted that there were whites in the first class at Berkeley.

What happened over the years? "Well,'' Mrs. Gabisi explained, "there were other schools in Bermuda established for whites only and therefore Berkeley Institute was the only place where people of colour could come and get a quality of education. And therefore the school became, and always was, predominantly black.

"But it opened its doors to everyone. It did not discriminate ever and it still does not discriminate.'' Over the years the white schools, "some by force during integration in the 1960s'', opened their doors to blacks.

"And of course blacks began to go to the other schools too and Berkeley remained,'' she said.

More white students attending Berkeley "Berkeley was always an excellent school, competing on equal footing with all the private schools. In fact we too were a private school because everyone paid fees to come here.'' Mrs. Gabisi recalled having one white student in her class when she was a student at Berkeley.

"They were never large numbers,'' she added. "Right now Berkeley is seeing an increase in the number of white students because we are the only remaining selective school.

"When restructuring comes in and we become one of two senior secondary schools, I would imagine Berkeley will more strongly integrated than it is now. But we welcome any and everyone.'' Asked why she believed white parents did not send their children to Berkeley, Mrs. Gabisi -- who headed the secondary department at Bermuda High School for Girls -- said: "Traditionally, whites don't join black institutions for whatever reasons. However, the trend the other way happens very freely. You see blacks freely joining white institutions. So that is something for the white community to speak to. And that's why I think Berkeley Institute has stayed a predominantly black school because whites do not traditionally join black institutions.'' Responding to the suggestion that whites may not attend Berkeley because they may be uncomfortable, she said: "Part of the education process is making sure that students learn skills which enable them to relate to people of all kinds of backgrounds. And we here at Berkeley try to make sure that students are able to relate effectively to one another. It does not depend on the colour of the skin, does not depend on national origin, does not depend on religion, race, creed you name it.

"We are trying to instill in our students that it's important that you accept people for what they are and you learn to get on with people who may be different from you, but it's okay to be different. We are all unique. We are all special. And no-one is more special than anyone else.'' While admitting that Berkeley, like most other schools, did not have "the most highly-developed multi-cultural curriculum'', Mrs. Gabisi noted that moves were afoot to make the curriculum "recognise the diversity in our community''.

Berkeley students, like any others, were not alienated from racism, Mrs.

Gabisi conceded.

But she said if the issue ever comes up at school, it is addressed.

"In fact, our PTSA is looking to host a forum for students so that they just can talk about at least one major issue. We have not decided on the issue yet.

We encourage our students to debate these issues. These are life issues and we are preparing young people for that world out there. And it can be a hard, cold world. They need to be ready.'' Mrs. Gabisi believes the school will attract more whites when it became one of two senior secondary schools, beginning 1997.

"I think the school is going to see more changes in terms of its student population over the next four to five years,'' she said. "And I think many of those changes will simply assist it in reflecting within its student body, the composition of the community at large.''