September will see an end to the practice of blindly promoting students to higher grades regardless of performance, Education Minister Sen. Milton Scott said yesterday.

Several other initiatives will be tried to improve public education which Sen.

Scott said is the number one priority for the Progressive Labour Party government.

This will include the principle that all teachers and principals will be held accountable for their students' performances each year.

Sen. Scott was speaking at an awards ceremony held by the International Companies Division of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

Organisers announced that more than $250,000 has been contributed this year to the scholarship fund.

The size of the donations is a sign of international business' belief in Bermuda and its young people, Sen. Scott said.

He told 20 awardees, their families, and members of the chamber his Government is committed to improving education in the Island.

Mr. Scott said that by September all primary one classrooms in the public system will have a maximum of 17 students.

And he said as "social'' promotion of students ends, teachers and principals will be held responsible for classroom performance.

Sen. Scott also noted that with so many young people -- like the scholarship recipients -- showing their excellence, "positive developments must have gone on'' in education over the years.

Sen. Scott added, however, that there was room for improvement of education in Bermuda, and he set out several initiatives set in place for the coming school year.

"For too long, many students have been left trailing behind their classmates and have been passed into higher classes without being adequately prepared because it was deemed detrimental to the socialisation process if they were not in class with their peers,'' he said.

"As we seek to put an end to social promotion, we realise that this effort will have to address multiple problems and a variety of student needs.'' Additional instruction for students lagging behind will be provided, Sen.

Scott promised, so that by 2002, all primary three students will be reading at grade level.

Literacy and love of reading will be fostered in the Island's public pre-schools come September by putting qualified teachers in the classroom, supported by para-professionals for special needs students.

Teachers throughout the system will not be micro-managed in how they teach students.

Sen. Scott said teachers will be held responsible for their student's successes and failures, saying: "In the end, we will hold teachers and principals accountable.'' `Social' promotions to end They will also be given greater opportunities for development courses and other training.

Change, Mr. Scott said, depends not only on teachers, but also what role families and community plays in developing young people.

He told scholarship winners they will return to Bermuda to join a workplace that is ever changing.

The 20 scholarship winners are: Crystal Astwood, Waynette Brangman, Nataya De Silva, Katrina Dias, Kennett Easton, Hanna Emmerson, Ugene Godfrey, Weneika Gomes, Matthew Greenslade, Del-Keesha Hanley, Vernon Hassell, Amy Hodgson, Wendell Hunt, Jaquita Ingham, Cynthia Millett, Fretina Robinson, Cherie Simons, Shanna Tyrell, Kondwani Williams and Tanika Williams.

Sen. Milton Scott