underachieve was yesterday promised by Education Minister Jerome Dill.

Mr. Dill said: "We already have the Best Steps programme at the Bermuda College which is a form of upgrading skills.

"Given the numbers involved, yes, we should have more of these programmes, but what we need to do is expand on the number of programmes we already have.'' Mr. Dill was speaking after CedarBridge Academy principal Ernest Payette told The Royal Gazette that nearly half of his pupils had literacy skills below the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate graduating level.

And Mr. Payette called for special reading programmes to push students up to standards, as well as for "something to bridge the gap'' between secondary school and Bermuda College entrance.

Mr. Dill said a tutorial system -- allowing one-on-one teaching -- were already in the pipeline.

He added: "We are going to give the individual who is struggling more attention and more intensive instruction.'' Mr. Dill said he and his Ministry team had already had discussions with Mr.

Payette.

He added: "Essentially what he is saying is there are some children who are so far behind that he doubts very much if they can catch up.

"That may very well be right, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't give school students the opportunity. All over the world, in every educational system, there are students who will not reach the graduation requirements.

"But that does not mean we simply pick a percentage and say `let's forget about all these other kids'.'' Mr. Dill steered away from the reasons for the poor showing by pupils who had been in the system for years before entering CedarBridge.

He said: "If we were all in the finger-pointing mode, there are lots of people we could point the finger at.'' But he added that it appeared that youngsters were no longer getting their first experience of reading and books at home -- before entering the school system.

Mr. Dill said: "You can just imagine the extent of the disadvantage you will be put at had your parents not paid that kind of attention to you.

"A number of our young people are entering the school system without that foundation laid by their parents and guardians. That presents a monumental challenge.'' He added that dealing with the underachievers and creating an inclusive teaching environment was what a battery of revisions to the educational structure was all about.