The Portuguese community represent nine percent of Bermuda's population, yet none of the Island's schools offer a course in the language.

From Bermuda College to private and public middle and senior schools, no Portuguese classes are taught. But that may change in the public senior schools.

Portuguese as a foreign language may be in the offing in the public school system, but not before September 2000.

Senior Education Officer in charge of Curriculum Instruction & Evaluation, Maxine Esdaille explained that student interest has to be assessed.

"We are looking for it to be offered at the senior school level,'' she told The Royal Gazette . "But it will be up to the schools themselves to ascertain interest and obtain the necessary staffing next year.'' Students currently have a choice between French and Spanish. Portuguese would provide a third choice and would not be compulsory.

Sister Judith Rollo, principal at the Catholic-based private school Mount Saint Agnes Academy, noted that Portuguese was removed from the school curriculum after three years.

"We offered Portuguese from 1972 to '75,'' she said. "But we were teaching Portuguese from Portugal and most of our students were exposed to Azorean Portuguese at home.

"We found that the students had a very difficult time with it and grew to hate it, so we took it off the curriculum.'' Sister Judith also revealed that a survey last Spring showed "minimal interest'' for Portuguese classes to be re-introduced at the school.

Eleanor Kingsbury, at Bermuda High School for Girls, said French, Spanish and Latin are currently taught there.

"Given our size I think that's all we can offer,'' she added.

While the private schools and Bermuda College admitted they have no immediate plans to offer Portuguese, the same situation exists at two out of three of the Island's special language schools.

Both Cranleigh and Algoma language schools do not offer and have no plans to offer Portuguese.

The International House of Languages has just taken a new instructor on board to teach Portuguese from Portugal and Portuguese from Brazil, and the Portuguese Cultural Association can arrange tutors.