Certainly one can only hope that he is successful. However, one cannot but wonder what are we going to do about all of the functional illiterates that have already graduated.

We have created an increasingly sophisticated economy for the benefit of "guest workers'' while refusing, or at least failing, to educate Bermudians, particularly black Bermudians, to participate in this economy. We are being told, even now, that companies must hire only "the best'' for our evolving e-commerce. That undoubtedly means more Canadians. It certainly does not mean our illiterates, most of whom are undoubtedly from the Government schools black population. The complaints that I hear from many employees suggest that we are already overrun by Canadians! Our situation is both by design and stupidity, with the result that a large percentage of Blacks have become the dregs of society. Even a casual knowledge of our History of Education informs us that the black population was deliberately under educated and miseducated. Howard Academy was closed because blacks were said to be too "hard headed'' for an academic education. There were ongoing efforts to undermine the Berkeley Institute for the same reason.

Blacks knew that they had to struggle for an education and some succeeded in spite of the education system. For too many that is no longer true.

When we as blacks had an opportunity to make decisions we always seemed to assume that only "foreign experts'' (short term or long term) knew the answers to our problems. We have taken what they have to say "hook, line and sinker'' whether it was applicable to Bermuda or not. While we had an obligation to examine what was happening elsewhere we had an even greater obligation to make it "fit'' Bermuda's needs. In the past couple of decades we have had more "foreign experts'' in the Department of Education than ever before while refusing to use the services of a dedicated black Bermudian like Dr. Muriel Smith. The product tells the story. Our product is a large percentage of illiterates. A recent newspaper article informs us that for the last several years the Bermuda College has paid a full time "foreign expert'' merely to arrange a sophisticated Mathematics Conference. While that may raise the profile of the College among international companies, I shall be very interested in knowing just how many Bermudians, particularly black Bermudians, will benefit from that investment. Certainly it is not likely to impact on our illiterate population. I can only hope that it will mean financial support for the College from the companies.

I have the impression that the new principal at CedarBridge is not only dedicated and efficient but well-liked. But under the circumstances she also needs to be a miracle worker. We were told that CedarBridge was established to eliminate elitism with all attending one school. In reality both the concept and the failure of Government schools has meant an increase in elitism through the increase of private education. Despite the undoubted good intentions of the former Minister of Education, Mr. Gerald Simons, it was either stupid or hypocritical to pretend that CedarBridge could, or would, eliminate elitism without the elimination of private schools. It was either stupid or hypocritical to pretend that a "State of the Art'' building would, or could, substitute for the failures of dysfunctional families and a general indifference towards the education of the vast majority of the black population.

We had a technological challenge but we also had an have an even greater human challenge. Neighbourhood schools which would have offered more consistency and stability in a smaller, more cohesive community would have been more likely to meet the human challenge. Literate disciplined students would have met the technologically challenge more efficiently at the College level. At least 20 or 25 percent of the students will succeed and their parents will support them under any circumstances. We need neighbourhood schools for the 20 or 30 percent that will not succeed and whose parents do not even know how to support them but who would benefit from the more personal attention of a more intimate environment.

At the moment many of our students in Government schools are not only illiterate but undisciplined. They are undisciplined because, as a Community, a black Community, we have adopted the values of "foreign experts'' -- certainly foreign to our community -- while discarding the values that were working for us.

We have two communities. One is white and made up largely of skilled, highly salaried "guest workers'' and "foreign experts'', those who have come to Bermuda as "the best'' and "most skilled''. The other is black and has totally different needs which in the last 20 years have been totally ignored by our black leadership. Our children needed Sunday School and church on Sunday, rather than running road races, which were first introduced for our "foreign experts'' and international runners and now seduce our children.

Many of our children often needed to be spanked to be disciplined both in school and out. Foreigners and foreign ideas told us that all spanking was abuse and now our children are illiterate and incarcerated. Theirs are not.

Our children needed to be told that older blacks and teachers were to be respected for their values and contribution. Instead these were those who were demeaned and scorned because they did not have wealth and were not "integrated''. Young people were told that the values and struggles of the older generation were "passe'' and only those Blacks who made lots of money and were "integrated'' had any social value.

Our black "leaders'', that we have been told are "successful'' and who acquired an education, in spite of the system, are responsible because it was they who rejected the values of their parents and grandparents and which contributed to their own success. They turned to the values of the "foreign expert'' and our children are paying the price.

It is, in my view, unfortunate that the PLP did not promptly re-evaluate all of the UBP educational policies. The secondary modern schools had failed us because the belief was that we were too "hard headed'' for academic or University oriented goals. What made us believe that their more recent efforts would benefit us? Concern about the enormous sums invested in CedarBridge is neither an excuse nor a reason not to rethink our entire Educational policy, if it means saving that 20 or 30 percent (perhaps more) of our local black population from becoming the dregs of our society while our sophisticated and affluent economy is run by, and benefits, only our Canadian, and other, "guest workers'' and their offspring.

Any teacher or parent who has experienced some of the all black, or predominantly black, Government schools and private schools or Government schools with a large percentage of white students will tell us that our first overriding problem in post primary black Government schools is not only illiteracy but a lack of discipline.

We can pretend that we must no longer talk about our two communities, as we were instructed during the Swan regime and about which there still seems to be great hesitancy even now. But they are the all black, or predominantly black, Government schools which demonstrate the lack of discipline which results from a disintegrating community and dysfunctional families and which, undoubtedly, are turning out illiterate students as a result.

Those black educators and decision makers who have sent their children to private schools because they are "different'' should have the integrity to recognise, discuss it and attempt to ensure that those differences are duplicated in Government schools. One of those differences is clearly the stability and consistency or continuity over the entire school experience.

Respect for their own community and cultural values is clearly another, whether it is the Bermuda Institute, Mount St. Agnes or one of the others.

Commitment to a well defined and common purpose or value is clearly another.

Rodney Smith may, according to one story, and despite his own problems, be a "has been'' politician but he is attempting to reintroduce to a large number of the black population some basic values which we once held dear in the black community. Black politicians who are not "has beens'' should be doing the same thing. This Government has said that it needs to bring about change. It also needs courage and confidence to bring about real change, not only in Education but in legislation. The law has said that MP's are not employees.

But MP's should see themselves as employees of, and therefore accountable to, "the people'' and the law should be changed to recognise this reality. They would then pay payroll taxes and be able to obtain insurance. We changed the Government to bring about change. We have seen some change but we need to see much more, particularly in Education so that we can be the primary ones to run our own economy for the benefit of all Bermudians and not just "guest workers'' who live affluent lives while Bermudians are homeless and dysfunctional without any sense of purpose or sense of self. Governments change laws.