BARBADOS is about to embark on its second education revolution.

While the first allowed universal primary, secondary and tertiary education, it is Prime Minister David Thompson's vision that it will be about relevance and impact.

"My vision for Barbados is a country in which all citizens realise their full potential through education and training based on aptitude. We can no longer continue to frustrate the 80 per cent of our children for whom the current secondary school curriculum is unsuitable," he said on Wednesday.

In an address punctuated with humorous recollections of his days at school, the former Combermerian said that his schools days were the best days and urgedstudents to enjoy theirs.

He was the featured speaker at the school's annual Speech Day where students were rewarded for their hard work in academics and sports.

Thompson told the audience that included chairman of the board of management, insurance executive Peter Harris, and other board members; principal Vere Parris and his deputy Vincent Fergusson, along with parents, that there was a need for more secondary schools to pursue excellence in art, sports, musical and interpersonal intelligences.

He added that extra-curricular activities were encouraged and supported at Combermere and while he had to master the basics in the classroom, the natural talents were honed elsewhere.

Thompson, who is also the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, said perhaps the school could specialise in sports and music as well as languages and mathematics.

"Perhaps we should look at the strengths of every secondary school and build on them," he added.

Students were given important lessons they ought to learn. The first was that they should be able to tell the difference between right and wrong; the second, is never start what you cannot finish; the third, always do things to the best of your ability and do not be satisfied with mediocrity; always do your homework; be prepared; you must read and you must be disciplined and think things through and always give back to the community and your old school after achieving success.

In his report, the principal said that the school recorded its best external results in recent times, including two Barbados Scholarships and an Exhibition, and an Aubrey Collymore Scholarship in the last academic year.