Four students were brought home to Bermuda from Barbados after the mother of one reported that he had been robbed at gunpoint.

Labour Minister David Burch told the Senate yesterday that the woman contacted the National Training Board (NTB), which sponsors students at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, to say she wanted him to return to the Island immediately.

Sen. Burch said two NTB officers were dispatched to Bridgetown the next day — on March 19 — to assess the situation and "confirm the safety" of other Bermudians studying at the college. They decided that four NTB students should come back to Bermuda.

The board has now launched a complete review of selection policies and procedures, according to the Minister, and a review of the supervision of its students studying abroad.

Sen. Burch said seven NTB students remained and were doing well at the polytechnic studying marine diesel engineering, maritime operations, automotive engineering and auto body repair.

"We have been assured that the relationship with the Government of Barbados in general and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic in particular has not been damaged," said Sen. Burch.

He said administrators at the polytechnic told the NTB that the Bermudian youth whose mother made the initial report was involved with the wrong crowd. They said goods were stolen from his home during a break-in and that he was involved in a physical altercation with a young Barbadian.

The student denied being involved with the wrong crowd but said he had been involved in six or seven altercations since arriving in Barbados in August 2007.

Sen. Burch said he got involved in more "physical altercations" involving other students while the NTB officers were in transit to Barbados.

"Upon arrival in Barbados the NTB team met with all relevant parties and as a result decided that four students would return to Bermuda — three as a result of incidents the previous day and one for an unrelated matter."

Sen. Burch added: "We believe that each of these students can be salvaged and efforts are under way to do just that."

Newspaper reports in Barbados at the time quoted eyewitnesses as reporting seven fights, including one in which a cutlass was brandished. Mr. Cosier said there were two incidents and no one was injured.

Since 2001, 16 students from the Island have graduated from Samuel Jackman, including Carla-Faye Hardtman who got the highest grade point in the history of the institution in 2006.

Polytechnic principal Wendell Cozier told The Royal Gazette in March that the dispute was an isolated incident and in no way reflected any bad feeling between Barbadians and Bermudians.

* Are you one of the students who was brought home from Barbados or a concerned parent?

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