Opposition Leader Jennifer Smith has questioned the origin and rationale of Government's plans to put an "isolation room'' at Dellwood.

Education officials earlier this week told The Royal Gazette the room would be just one of several options to help teachers deal with students with behavioural disorders.

But Ms Smith, who is also the Shadow Education Minister, said neither Government, in its original plans for middle schools, nor the Education Planning Team -- which came up with recommendations for education reform in 1987 -- mentioned isolation rooms for middle schools.

"No recommendation came from the EPT about an isolation room and they studied those problems,'' she said.

"If Government have looked into this and found that there is a need for this room, they should say so.

"If they have findings that the young people in school are so angry and violent that they are looking at having such a place, they should share them.'' While explaining that it would be difficult for her to comment on "time-out'' rooms without knowing what Government's overall behavioural management programme for the entire school system was, Ms Smith questioned the room's suitability for middle school students.

"At that age, what you see is the outcome reflective of what is going on in their home life and social environment,'' she said, adding that talks with people in positions of trust such as counsellors would probably be more appropriate.

Ms Smith also wondered why the room was included in one school's plans and not others.

"Why are they setting this up in one school?'' she asked "That's the old (education) system, if the room is only going to be at one school.'' Ms Smith said the Education Ministry should be able to provide parents with a methodical explanation of how their children will be handled when there is a problem.

"My concern is whether Government is fulfilling its promise and responsibility to the people of Bermuda to provide excellent education across the Island,'' she said. "Having involved hundreds of Bermudians in an exercise ten years ago, we now seem to be ignoring the recommendations.

"Why the change? Did they follow the EPT recommendations and find out they were wrong?'' Education Minister Jerome Dill could not be reached for comment last night.

But he has stated that isolation rooms were part of Government plans for middle schools as early as September, 1992.

Last week Senior Education Officer of Student Services Joeann Smith said the room would only be used on "rare'' occasions. She explained that over the past two years, educators had been trying to build up a continuum of services to help principals deal with children with behavioural problems.

She noted the room, which "will eventually be in all middle schools and in senior schools'', was important because children with severe behaviour disorders usually needed an opportunity and place to calm down when they were upset.

"They need a place where they are on their own, where they can be monitored and there is nothing in there that they can hurt themselves with,'' Mrs. Smith said, explaining the room would be carpeted and may be furnished with soft couches, chairs and balls.

She also pointed out that staff, such as counsellors, would be able to monitor the room by camera at all times.