suggestions in the House of Assembly on Friday on work permits.

He told MPs that he was now hearing that it was easier for a company to get work permits for non-Bermudian employees under the new Government than it was under the United Bermuda Party.

He went on to suggest two ways to ensure that Bermudians get a fair chance at jobs. He suggested they copy their job applications to the Board of Immigration so it would know who had applied for a post, and he proposed that Immigration publish a list of work permit applications to enable Bermudians to apply for them.

Both suggestions have merit. They would guarantee that Bermudians are on a level playing field when it comes to jobs and that applications are not being ignored when work permits are sought.

Against that, there would be concerns that the proposals would be expensive to implement and time consuming, especially when the time it takes to process a work permit is already being compared unfavourably to other jurisdictions, especially the Cayman Islands.

There does seem to be some evidence that work permits are easier to get now.

And it seems clear that the process has not become harder. Indeed, Home Affairs' Minister Paula Cox says that her Ministry is trying to make the process more efficient. But she denied the process was easier.

Having won the Election, the Government had to win the confidence of the international business community, which was deeply worried about work permits in the wake of the Progressive Labour Party's pro-Bermudian pre-Election rhetoric.

This has required the Government to tread carefully on the issue. But it may take time to find the right balance between ensuring Bermudians get the jobs they deserve while ensuring Bermuda companies get the employees they need to compete on a global scale.

Mr. Marshall's ideas would be a good safeguard to ensure the system is working properly.

GIVING CREDIT EDT Giving credit Bermuda's young people take a lot of criticism from time to time -- and it is important to give them credit when they deserve it.

This is especially true when it comes to achievements in academics. To some extent, athletes and young artists and musicians get more public attention than the quiet but excellent student.

On Saturday night, children from all the Island's primary schools and all but one middle school gathered at Ruth Seaton James Hall at CedarBridge Academy for the first national spelling bee.

While only one student could win each of the middle and primary school competitions, all the children who were entered were winners -- both because they had won their own school's competition and because they had the courage to stand up on the stage and do their best. They all deserve praise.

The Warwick Academy community also deserves credit after hundreds of teachers, parents and students turned out on Sunday to do maintenance and add new features to their school.

The day was devoted to Random Acts of Kindness and in the past has encompassed all kinds of charitable work. On Sunday, charity began at home for the school, but it also resulted in money being raised for Windreach and is a great symbol of a community pulling together for the benefit of their children.