There is no university in Bermuda, but Extra-mural courses are available from two North American universities. The Government provides over B$400,000 a year in scholarships and loans to students studying abroad, in addition to similar aid provided by the private sector. The Government also provides 50 Teacher Training Scholarships a year worth B $2,000 for a maximum of three years for students to train abroad. Direct Government expenditure on education during 1972/73 was B $9,724,512. The Minister of Education is also responsible for Bermuda's libraries. The main branch in Hamilton was opened in 1839, and there are branches in Somerset and St George's. Total bookstock in 1973 was some 120,000. Included in the central facility is a reading room and a Reference Library. The Bermuda Archives are legally responsible for the preservation of national documents and Government files. Aided and maintained secondary schools provide education up to “O” level G.C.E. while one private secondary school provides both “O” and “A” level G.C.E. instruction. The Bermuda College's Department of Academic Studies provides G.E.C. instruction at "A" level. The Department of Commerce provides a wide range of vocational courses, and the Department of Hotel Technology provides hotel training. All three departments offer evening classes, and during 1973 enrolment was well over 1,100 persons of all ages. The secondary schools provide a four- to five-year course leading to G.C.E., R.S.A., or City and Guilds examinations. Pupils are normally transferred from the primary schools between the ages of 11 years and 8 months and 12 years and 8 months. Fees for pupils over the statutory age are payable at these schools— the present rates ranging from B$10 a term to B $30 a term. Home Economics is provided at nine secondary schools or departments of schools, and handicraft courses at seven: pre-vocational training in hotel technology, building crafts and garage mechanics is offered in various secondary schools. On 17th July 1970, Government tabled a statement of intention to put forward a plan that would accelerate the rate of integration in primary schools. An indication was given of the various proposals which were under active consideration. Early in 1971 it was announced that Government had decided on an "amalgamation" scheme which it felt was most appropriate for Bermuda, being educationally sound and one which would accelerate integration at the primary school level. In September 1971, Government put into operation its plan to re-organize primary education to accelerate the rate of racial integration. Northlands Primary School was closed and its pupils and staff joined the Dellwood Primary School to produce a fully integrated three-stream primary school. Three other one-form entry primary schools did not take first class at entry and closed in September 1972, as they fully amalgamated with other primary schools. When the plan is complete in five years, 25 primary schools will have been reduced to 17. Government took this decision after considerable investigation and study and in the certain belief that an increased rate of integration in Bermuda's school system is a basic requisite for an integrated, happy and prosperous society of the future. HISTORY According to the Spanish navigator and historian Ferdinand d'Oviedo, who sailed close to the islands in 1515, they were discovered by Juan Bermudez. A 17th century French cartographer gives the date of their discovery as 1503 and there is evidence that the islands were known as 'La Bermuda' by 1510. The Spaniards do not appear to have taken any steps to form a settlement and the islands were still entirely uninhabited when in 1609 Admiral Sir George Somer's ship The Sea Venture was wrecked upon one of the reefs while carrying a party of colonists to Virginia. Reports of the beauty and fertility of the land caused the Virginia Company to seek an extension of their charter so as to include the islands within their dominion. This was granted by King James I in 1612 and the first emigrants went out in that year. Shortly afterwards the Virginia Company sold the islands for £2,000 to a new body of adventurers called 'The Governor and Company of the City of London for the Plantation of the Somers Islands', and for a considerable time afterwards the islands bore that name. In 1684 the charter of the Bermuda Company of London was annulled and government passed to the Crown. As in the West Indies, slavery was permitted from the colony's earliest days, but following William Wilberforce's crusade in England it was abolished absolutely in Bermuda in 1834. Later in the nineteenth century, following the inauguration of steamship services, Bermuda, in addition to enjoying a profitable agricultural export trade in vegetables, gradually became noted for its climate and charm. Slowly the tourist trade grew, many visitors coming annually to escape the rigorous North American winters and, as larger and faster ships were built and hotels erected, it finally became the colony's most important business. Since the Second World War, the tourist season has become virtually year-round, with the greatest influx of visitors coming during the long summer season. The year 1959 was the 350th anniversary of the settlement of Bermuda. Throughout the year a comprehensive programme of functions and celebrations was carried out, and a special Crown piece was issued by the Royal Mint. His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, paid a flying visit in April 51959. 3 The Parliamentary Election Act, passed in December 1962, marked an important step in the political evolution in Bermuda. Throughout its history, members of the House of Assembly had been elected by the privileged few who could meet a freehold voting qualification (5,500 in 1962). The new act enfranchised everyone over the age of 25, thus creating a potential electorate of 22,000, while retaining for property-owners the privilege of an extra vote. Bermuda's first political party, the Progressive Labour Party, was formed shortly before the elections held in May 1963 but the majority of seats was won by independent candidates. In the following year however most of the independent members formed a second party, the United Bermuda Party. In November 1963 the Legislature appointed a Joint Select Committee to consider constitutional change. In an interim report the Committee recommended the abolition of the additional Property Vote and reduction of the voting age from twenty-five to twenty-one years. These changes became law early in 1966. In its second report, published in November 1965, the Joint Select Committee made detailed recommendations for constitutional change. This report was accepted by the Legislature and subsequently a Constitutional Conference was convened in London in November 1966. In addition to the Governor and the Attorney-General, a representative delegation consisting of eighteen members of the Legislature attended. A new Constitution providing responsible internal self-government came into force on 8th June 1968, following a General Election on 22nd May, which resulted in the United Bermuda Party winning 30 seats in the House of Assembly. The Progressive Labour Party became the official opposition, holding the other ten seats. The election campaign was marred by an outbreak, during April, of two days of civil disorder, which resulted in few casualties but over £400,000 in property damage due mainly to arson. In a further election in 1972, the United Bermuda Party were returned to power, once again with 30 seats in the House of Assembly. CONSTITUTION Following the constitutional conference held in London in November 1966, a new written constitution was introduced on 8th June 1968 providing a responsible form of government. The House of Assembly adopted the report of a Boundaries Commission that the general election, held on 22nd May 1968, should result in 20 constituencies each sending two members to parliament under full universal adult suffrage. Various amendments were made to the Constitution in 1973, the most important being the establishment of the Governor's Council, to deal with the Governor's reserve powers of external affairs, defence, internal security and the police. The Cabinet, formerly known as the Executive Council, was henceforth to be presided over by the Premier. The Governor appoints as Premier the member of the House of Assembly whom he thinks best able to command the confidence of a majority of members, and other appointments to the Cabinet and the allocation of portfolio and the appointments of Parliamentary Secretaries are made on the advice of the Premier. The Legislative Council, which has power to delay legislation and to introduce and amend Bills other than Money Bills, consists of eleven members. Five are appointed by the Governor in his discretion, four on the advice of the Premier and two members on the advice of the Opposition Leader. There are an independent Judiciary and a Public Service Commission for Bermuda. LAND POLICY The Government has exercised control of development, in some form or other, for a considerable time. In May 1962 it was decided to review town and country development in the light of a report submitted by a commission appointed in 1944 to survey housing in the Colony, and to make recommendations for the future control and development of buildings and land. Following the review in 1962, funds were provided and arrangements made for Mr H. Thornley Dyer, FRIBA, AMTPI, Town Planning Adviser for the Kenya Government from 1945-62, to come to Bermuda for six months to prepare a development plan for Bermuda. As a result of Mr Dyer's report a Bill was forwarded to the Legislature early in 1965 and became operative on 3rd August 1965. There is a Department of Planning for the orderly development of land and for the preservation and improvement of amenities, including the acquisition of land, compensation, appeals etc. The Development and Planning Act (1965) provides a comprehensive code for the control of development having due regard to private interests where they conflict with the public need. Final development plans, based on Mr Dyer's recommendations and drafts for legislative approval, were approved by the Legislature at the end of 1968. GOVERNMENT H.E. The Governor and Commander-in-Chief: Sir Edwin Leather, KCMG, KCVO THE CABINET The Premier: Hon. Sir Edward Richards, CBE, JP, MP Minister of Education and Libraries: Hon. Mrs Gloria McPhee, JP, MP THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Hon. George O. Ratteray, CBE (President) Hon. E. S. D. Ratteray, DDS Clerk: A. D. Eve THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBȧY His Honour the Speaker: Hon. A. D. Spurling, CEE, JP, MP 40 Elected Members (N.B. Members of the House of Assembly are designated MP) LOCAL GOVERNMENT There are two municipalities-The City of Hamilton (incorporated 1793 and made a city by act of legislation in 1897) which is governed by a corporation; and the town of St George (incorporated 1797) one of the oldest settlements in the Western Hemisphere and the capital of Bermuda until 1815. Charges for dock facilities and water are the Hamilton corporation's main source of revenue but both governing bodies derive revenue from rents and municipal taxes. HAMILTON Mayor: The Hon. E. Graham Gibbons, OBE St George's Mayor: The Hon. N. R. Roberts, OBE. JP Secretary of the Corporation: E. W. T. Robinson Parish Councils are appointed annually to advise in the administration of general parochial affairs of the Poor Law by the parishes of St George's, Hamilton, Smith's Devonshire, Pembroke, Paget, Warwick, Southampton and Sandys. The systems of law applicable in Bermuda are the common law, the doctrines of equity and all English Acts of general application which were in force on the 11th July 1612. These systems are subject to Acts passed in Bermuda since that date in any way altering, modifying or amending those laws or doctrines. The Public Acts and Statutory Instruments made thereunder were reprinted in 1971, with a volume containing tables and indices. There exists also an edition of private acts in two volumes. CIVIL ESTABLISHMENT Deputy Governor: G. P. Lloyd, CMG OBE Financial Secretary: J. E. F. Codrington, CMG Permanent Secretary for Health and Social Permanent Secretary for Education and Permanent Secretary for Labour and Director of Civil Aviation: W/Cdr E. M. Chief Education Officer: Dr K. Robinson Director of Marine and Ports Services: Registrar of the Supreme Court: Kenneth T BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY HE British Antarctic Territory was designated by an Order-in-Council which came into force on the 3rd March 1962, and, with the exception of the island of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, consists of the area previously known as the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The territory lies between longitudes 20° and 80°W. south of latitude 60°S. Within these bounds lie the South Orkneys, the South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula, together with all adjacent islands and the land mass extending to the South Pole. The majority of the islands in the territory are wild and rugged with many glaciers. The Antarctic Peninsula is mountainous, the highest peak being Mount Andrew Jackson (about 11,000 feet). There is a snow-covered plateau which extends along the peninsula but declines from 7,000 feet in the south to about |