structures in Bermuda's school system crumble to the ground.

The old hotel college building was the first of many at Prospect to be torn down to make room for the planned multi-million-dollar senior secondary school which is the key to the success of Government's major education reforms.

Demolition work at the 19.4-acre site is expected to be completed in six months, Works and Engineering Minister the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto revealed yesterday.

And construction of the new senior secondary school to accommodate some 750 high school students is scheduled to begin immediately afterward.

Education Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira, who called yesterday "a very exciting day'' in the Island's history, stressed that Government could not complete middle schools until the senior school was completed.

Government plans to open the senior secondary school in 1997.

That school and The Berkeley Institute, which is scheduled to be converted into a senior secondary school by 1999, will take more than 1,000 students from the five proposed middle schools and prepare them for college or the work force.

Both Berkeley and the school at Prospect will offer core subjects such as English and Mathematics. But Berkeley will offer more courses in business while the Prospect school will have more in the area of technology.

Dr. Terceira also stressed that "education must not be stagnant''.

"We must keep on the move,'' he said, noting that some 200 teachers have been trained to teach middle schools and two senior education officers were recently appointed to strengthen the liaison between schools and professional staff at the Education Ministry.

Noting that Government intended to knock down all the buildings at the old Devonshire Academy site except the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium, Mrs.

Cartwright DeCouto said: "At the same time work is scheduled to start next week on Gymnasium Road (near the National Stadium) to improve access to the school''.

Some of the rubble from both sites will be used to cover the Pembroke dump, she added. Also on site to witness the demolition of the early 20th century building that will be replaced by a "state-of-the-art'' senior school was Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan and former Education Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons. "We want to make it (the senior secondary school) available because we want to make sure our young people are equipped for the changing future,'' Sir John said.

SCHOOL DEMOLISHED -- The old Bermuda College hotel building at Prospect was torn down yesterday to make room for a "state-of-the-art'' senior secondary school.