Most people know Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, and Charles Lindbergh made the first solo flight across the Atlantic.

But how many know that an African-American -- Dr. Charles Drew -- invented blood plasma transfusion, a Portuguese -- Vasco Da Gama -- discovered the sea route to India, and a Chinese -- Wang Chieh -- printed the first book.

Not enough, say advocates for having black history or multi-cultural education in the public school system.

Debate over the subject has been ongoing for years in Bermuda.

It was most recently put on the front burner when Government announced plans for major education reform.

Too many black males were "falling through the cracks'' of the current system, was the reason given.

And while many agreed with this, there was conflict over the cause of the problem and how it should be solved.

However, some educators in the Chicago area of the US last week told The Royal Gazette that cultural education could be the answer to low self-esteem and performance by students.

Dyett Middle School principal Dr. Yvonne Minor said the school had seen a remarkable improvement in students since black history was introduced about 10 years ago.

With 99 percent of the 750-student body African American, Dr. Minor said: "The African-American perspective is 100 percent the undercurrent in whatever is taught''.

However, she added, this is highlighted in February when the school joins in black history activities such as the wearing of the African kente cloth and performing special African dances and rituals.

In addition to observing African practices, Dr. Minor said Dyett also had an ongoing role model programme.

African-American role models from throughout the community were invited into the school to communicate with students who range from 11 to 14 years old.

Male teachers, who make up 60 percent of the staff -- a higher than average percentage -- also serve as role models, she said.

Based on positive feedback from parents and alumni, this had proved to be a success.

Dr. Minor said she also believed such a programme worked based on her personal experience of attending an all-black school where there were role models.

She said students' academic performance improved because they could relate to the teachers.

Dyett also makes specific reference to African-Americans in its home economics and industrial arts programmes.

Dr. Louise Heidi, principal of another Chicago school, Tilton Elementary which is 100 percent black, said: "We just don't teach black history, we direct our curriculum toward the afrocentric.

"For instance, in social studies we include whatever blacks were involved in, so they (students) can know their people played a major part in history.

"And when we're teaching about the revolution, we throw in other things that are not found in the history books.'' Tilton uses the Portland Plan -- a system of teaching devised at Portland State University, Oregon, which calls for schools to highlight the contributions of all ethnic groups in every aspect of the curriculum, including history, science and mathematics.

Dr. Heidi said Tilton, which has 800 students, introduced the plan about five years ago.

Since then, she said, "they (students) are more in tune with their history''.

Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith said she had been pushing for multi-cultural education to be included in the national curriculum.

Noting that Bermuda was fast becoming a multi-cultural society, she said multi-cultural education would help young people to cope in society.

She said it would also build their self-esteem and build their respect of others' cultures.

"What they found in doing multi-cultural education is everybody's background is validated and recognised,'' Ms Smith said.

"You cannot teach children in a vacuum. They must be able to relate.

"For example, it would not make sense in a maths (word) problem to talk about a train when students are more familiar with a bus.'' Ms Smith stressed that "multi-cultural education is teaching from the perspective of recognising that all people have contributed to where we are now.

"It builds self-esteem and it also corrects a lot of the errors of the past.'' She also noted that it was used in school systems in Canada and the US where much of Government's ideas for education reform comes from.

While secondary students learn about the achievements of Bermudians in civics, emphasis is not placed on whether they are black or white, education officer in charge of curriculum Dr. Joseph Christopher said.

"We teach aspects of Bermudian study as well as aspects of other non-European studies, but we do not designate it as black history.'' The Education Department, however, is considering increasing the attention given to locals and various racial contributions, he added.

Noting that textbooks used in the public school system are written from a "Northern European'' point of view while Bermuda is made up of those of Northern European, Southern European, and African descent, Dr. Christopher said the department was now examining how it would proceed on changing the curriculum.