Education Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira.

"I'm almost there with it,'' Dr. Terceira told The Royal Gazette . "We're just about on the final draft. I would hope to table it by June 1.'' A new Education Act has been promised for years. Most recently, in August, Dr.

Terceira said he wanted to bring it to the House by the end of 1994. The drug testing issue was part of the reason for the latest delay, he said.

The Act -- which gives force to the many changes that make up Government's school restructuring plan -- could then be debated and passed before the House of Assembly rises for the summer at the end of June, he said.

Described as a hefty document, it will provide for middle schools between primary and senior secondary school and also include pre-schools for the first time, he said.

And after consultation with the Attorney General's chambers, "there will be a section of the act to provide for drug testing'', Dr. Terceira said.

The Act will provide for a board for the new senior secondary school at Prospect and will give the board powers to make it "as autonomous as possible,'' Dr. Terceira said.

The Minister said he had chosen a chairman and was finalising selection of the rest of the board, which will have about 15 members and be known as an interim board until the $40-million school is completed. He did not want to name the prospective chairman, who he said was still subject to Cabinet approval.

There will also be boards for primary schools and middle schools, although no governing bodies will be chosen for Government-aided schools like Whitney Institute, Berkeley Institute, and Sandys Secondary School, since they already exist.

The boards for individual schools are seen as a move toward greater decentralisation. In keeping with recommendations of the Education Planning Team, the boards will be responsible for day-to-day management of the schools.

Ultimate authority for the schools will remain with the Ministry, Dr. Terceira said.

School principals are to serve as ex-officio members on these boards, and education officers may also be invited to attend meetings as ex-officio members from time to time to lend their expertise.

The Act has been generally cleaned up and modernised, Dr. Terceira said.