youngsters get a good start in life.

And one campaigner is calling for parenting skills to be taught in all middle schools so that young adults are better equipped at bringing up their own offspring.

Yesterday Government backbencher and St. George's North MP Delaey Robinson -- who became a father himself three months ago -- said improved parenting skills were at the heart of solving the Island's social and economic problems in the long term.

And he also urged employers to provide both maternity and paternity leave to allow parents to spend time with their babies in the crucial first weeks of life.

Mr. Robinson was responding to a front page article in yesterday's Royal Gazette in which former Police medical officer Dr. Valerie James called for the castration of sex offenders.

Dr. James claimed children were growing up without adequate parenting -- mainly because young girls under the age of 16 were getting pregnant. She also suggested couples should be vetted before being allowed to have children.

Last night Mr. Robinson agreed with Dr. James that inadequate parenting was the main cause for a number of problems, including crime, on the Island, although he insisted that the issue was broader than the problem of young or single parents.

"I think that Dr. James has nicely identified part of the problem but not identified any of the solutions,'' he said. "I think she's done a very good job of throwing the problem in people's faces -- and let's not dodge our problems, we are inclined to do something about our social and other problems.

"But it's not true to say that the politicos aren't doing anything about it and that we are not concerned.

"We are going to be taking a look at existing facilities with a view to helping those facilities come up to par and make sure that they are adequate and can cover all our births. If they are not Government will go about trying to expand those facilities.

"I think what Dr. James has identified is some underlying fundamental problems. Parenting is becoming more difficult because our priorities have shifted to sustenance by money which takes a lot of time and takes people out of homes and away from children who aren't being nurtured.'' Mr. Robinson said there were no short term fixes to the problem.

Upgrade for parent training But he added that there was a great deal parents could do to ensure their children get the right start in life.

"One of the things Government is already expanding and putting emphasis on is making sure parents, before they are parents, are aware of how important it is to pay attention to early child development,'' he said.

"We have this problem of people having children before they are ready and the babies are likely not to be nurtured.

"It is worth society making sure that we place the money up front early on rather than tackle the problem later on when you have juvenile delinquency and other social problems.

"I think it's something to do with low self-esteem compounded with not being loved -- it's as simple as that. Low self-esteem in males makes them violent and with females they have this wherewithal to have their own children because they know that child will love them.'' Mr. Robinson said although there are about 800 births on the Island each year, only about 500 parents attend training classes.

Coalition for the Protection of Children director Sheelagh Cooper echoed Mr.

Robinson's views.

She welcomed Dr. James' comments and agreed inadequate parenting was a key problem on the Island.

But she said solutions were more complex than castrating men who committed unlawful carnal knowledge.

She said that cheaper housing would ease the economic burden on many families, allowing parents to spend more time at home.

She also claimed that parenting skills should be taught in all middle schools to prepare youngsters for parenthood.

And she said young girls should be made aware of career and other opportunities open to them in a bid to stop them wanting to start families too young.

"It's not single parenthood in itself, although that doesn't help because these mums are having to do two jobs to make ends meet and the child is not being nurtured,'' she said.

"But we have had the phenomenon of single parent families for years -- the rate of illegitimacy has remained constant at around 30 percent -- and yet these social problems are new to Bermuda.''