CLASS REPORT At the beginning of a new term in Brussels, a report on the top class

***NAME: Jacques Santer ***GRADE: 7/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: President ***REMARKS: A nice boy, always smoothing troubled waters. But his jobs pact lacks realism. As head boy, Jacques really must reform the school's institutions and finances.

***NAME: Sir Leon Brittan ***GRADE: 7/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Vice-president, North America, Far East, Australasia, common trade policy ***REMARKS: Clever boy. No longer sulks over losing Russia and Eastern Europe. Needs to shine in December's World Trade Organisation match in Singapore.

***NAME: Franz Fischler ***GRADE: 9/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Agriculture ***REMARKS: A pleasure in class. And so deft when dealing with Britain's mad cows (and ministers). But can Franz reform our farm policy-a must if the school is to take new student from the east?

***NAME: Manuel Marin ***GRADE: 5/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: North Africa, Middle East, Latin America, South-East Asia ***REMARKS: After ten years in the class, isn't it time Manuel fulfilled all that youthful promise? He really must look beyond the Hispanic world.

***NAME: Martin Bangemann ***GRADE: 4/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Industry, information technology, telecoms ***REMARKS: Oh dear. So intelligent-and so lazy. We have hardly seen Martin since last year's G7 "information superhighway" parry. Is it too much tennis or too much sailing?

***NAME: Karel van Miert ***GRADE: 8/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Competition ***REMARKS: Excellent pupil. We are so pleased that he has escaped Belgium's political scandals. But he must beware the Germans: banning aid to Volkswagen has upset them-and they already want an independent EU cartel office. That would leave Karel with nothing to do.

***NAME: Christos Papoutsis ***GRADE: 3/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Energy, small and medium-sized enterprises, tourism ***REMARKS: Rather too quiet in class. Small businesses and tourism are all about jobs-of which we have far too few.

***NAME: Neil Kinnock ***GRADE: 7/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Transport ***REMARKS: What a bubbly lad! Interesting ideas on aviation and eco-friendly transport. But his special project on "trans-European networks" has still not been handed in.

***NAME: Joao de Deus Pinheiro ***GRADE: 3/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Africa, Caribbean, Pacific ***REMARKS: Is Joao still ill? He's here so seldom. Obviously golf has its attractions, but he is paid to work in class for those less fortunate than himself.

***NAME: Mario Monti ***GRADE: 7/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Single market, taxation***REMARKS: Not a pushy boy, but clever and determined. Unlike some pupils, Mario believes in what he's doing. His big test next term: reforming VAT.

***NAME: Emma Bonino ***GRADE: 9/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Consumer policy, fisheries, humanitarian aid ***REMARKS: Great fun. Loves danger, from Rwanda to Cornwall, but full of common sense. We hope she can remain popular when she cuts Europe's fishing fleets by two-fifths.

***NAME: Hans van den Broek ***GRADE: 6/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Central and Eastern Europe, former Soviet Union, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta ***REMARKS: Hans is a serious boy, upset by the misbehaviour in Bosnia and Russia. But enlarging the school will be good for all: Hans must learn not to be distracted by detail.

***NAME: Padraig Flynn ***GRADE: 2/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Employment and social affairs ***REMARKS: A pleasant boy but much too fond of his own voice. Meaningless fluency does not create jobs; it simply annoys.

***NAME: Yves-Thibault de Silguy ***GRADE: 7/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Economic and financial affairs ***REMARKS: Still a little unsure on the big occasion. We sympathise: planning the single currency is the school's hardest job-and he has no money of his own.

***NAME: Marcelino Oreja ***GRADE: 4/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Institutional affairs, culture, audiovisual policy ***REMARKS: Disappointing, for all his smooth talk on television quotas. Marcelino must get more involved in putting the class's case to the inter-governmental conference.

***NAME: Erkki Liikanen ***GRADE: 8/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Budget, personnel ***REMARKS: Our first Finn has settled in quickly (it helps that Erkki likes jazz and the south of France). Has done well holding the purse strings-even if some pupils do resent it.

***NAME: Monika Wulf-Mathies ***GRADE: 6/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Regional policies ***REMARKS: Monika has a big job ahead of her: a growing school cannot cosset all its needy pupils. We hope she will be tough enough. Happily, she is becoming less withdrawn.

***NAME: Ritt Bjerregaard ***GRADE: 2/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Environment, nuclear security ***REMARKS: A difficult little Dane. Sulking over French nuclear tests and writing a spiteful diary are no way to behave in class. Ritt must try to be a team player-her subjects matter.

***NAME: Edith Cresson ***GRADE: 3/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: science, research and development ***REMARKS: Edith seems to think she can get by on Gallic charm. She really must choose between Chatellerault (does she still need to be mayor?) and Brussels.

***NAME: Anita Gradin ***GRADE: 5/10 ***RESPONSIBILITIES: Immigration, justice and home affairs, fraud prevention ***REMARKS: Anita likes to sit at the back of the class. A pity, because she speaks well when she has to, and the whole school is interestedin her specialist subjects.

The class is coping quite well, but far too many pupils are marking time. We remind parents that important exams are ahead-and that parental support will be crucial.