following a suggestion made to us that we should point out, generally, some of the things which divide Bermudians. We have chosen two areas which we think lead to social and racial divisions. Some of what we say may well be controversial, even painful, but it should be said so that it can be considered.

Education is a major source of division in Bermuda. In many very real ways we still have segregated education. Government supports the use of private schools and has very little choice in that because many elected members of Parliament, from both political parties, use private schools for their children. That fact, of course, instantly brands Government schools as less desirable. Yet it is clear that private schools are largely white and cater to an elitist division of Bermuda according to social class, wealth and academic ability. One way to get over some of this problem might be for Government, which collects taxes for education, to pay the fees of young people who can gain entrance to the private schools but cannot afford the fees.

We have no figures, but we would guess that private schools are used more extensively in Bermuda than anywhere else, especially if you count those Bermudians abroad in private schools. Certainly private schools are used more extensively in Bermuda than in the United States or Canada.

It seems to us that Government schools also create social problem. Without going into extensive detail, these schools also have a hierarchy which leads to distinct social and educational levels and which stigmatises some students, usually black students, placing them at a lifetime disadvantage. Yet, as a Country, we seem to accept that situation.

In fact, it seems that we are about to increase the problem by creating two large secondary schools. Anyone who takes a hard look at these schools will conclude that the rich and the bright will be in the private schools or overseas. The top students in the Government system will choose Berkeley Institute because its name will give it acceptance, no matter what the facts are. The new Prospect school will be looked on as the bottom of a complicated pile and, being seen as the bottom, will stigmatise its students. Most of these students will be black and there is a real danger that Government is creating a school which will guarantee a black under-class while saying that it is trying to prevent black males from "falling through the cracks''. It seems to us that the large schools will guarantee institutionalised racism in the most obvious way.

Once people are through their school experience, Bermuda continues to foster their separation in an extensive network of private clubs, white and black, many with only token integration. Historically, private clubs in the British colonies are divisive because they sprang from the desire of the British in the colonies to separate themselves from the "natives''.

Simply by being organised around special national interests some of these clubs lead to separation. But more than that, they still seem to follow the general lines which existed in Bermuda before integration. Some are still seen as "black'' clubs and some are seen as "white'' clubs. Some clearly engage in open social distinctions which is also divisive. Then there are clubs which are organised around non-Bermudians and where Bermudians in general do not feel welcome.

It is helpful when thinking of all this to remember how small Bermuda is. In larger countries some of these things would hardly be noticed and would have only minimal influence, but in Bermuda they are very much noticed and they are important because they play a big part in daily life.