The Police Cadet programme was plunged into turmoil yesterday when two students were dismissed and parents claimed the other six want to quit amid plunging morale, falling grades and allegations of intimidation from instructors.

Police promised to investigate the claims that students were frequently shouted at, but said last night they had received no information that the remaining cadets wanted to resign.

The force said it had no option but to dismiss two cadets from the programme because Bermuda College, where the students were studying, was throwing the teens off a course due to poor grades.

Police put the students through college and paid them $23,000 a year, but failing the course put the cadets in breach of the contract they signed with the Police.

The College put the other six cadets on academic probation because their grade point average (GPA) fell below 2. The Royal Gazette understands one cadet had a GPA of 0 over three semesters.

Police cadet singing the blues Meanwhile, Police are close to completing an internal investigation into an allegation an instructor punched 18-year-old Sidney Fray, one of the cadets thrown off the scheme yesterday.

Parents called a press conference yesterday after an emotional two-hour meeting at Police headquarters in Prospect about the chaos surrounding the scheme.

Ricky Tucker of Pembroke, whose 18-year-old daughter Rickeisha, is on the course, said afterward: " As parents, we've been very concerned and we have not received a word from Bermuda Police Department.

"Why are these children failing in this programme. The parents and children met this week and it was a very emotional meeting and the children were crying...

"Every child in this programme is ready to quit. None of them want to stay, not one.

"The children don't want to continue after all the frustration they've been through.

"First thing in the morning they are shouted at in the drill so their morale is low.

"They go to college and they are still thinking about being shouted at. These young children are being groomed to serve in a professional service and now they all want out.

Mr. Tucker said the parents had been trying unsuccessfully since last year to find out about their children's grades.

But Police human resources manager Suzette Edmead said Bermuda College had written to all the cadets in November telling them they were on academic probation because their grades were below standard.

All letters were signed by their parents and returned, she added.

"These students failed to achieve, much less maintain, a level of good academic standing at the Bermuda College, thereby invalidating their future prospects as Police cadets,'' she said.

"And the Police service, has a commitment to be accountable to the tax-payer.

These two students were unable to fulfil their portion of the agreement that will allow them to continue with us...

"We can appreciate that it is an extremely unfortunate set of circumstances for the parents and students at this time.

"There are six other students on academic probation, but we have been assured that there is sufficient time (14 weeks) for them to make a serious attempt at improving their grades.'' Mrs. Edmead said Police were only made aware this week of claims that instructors were harsh on the cadets.

"The cadets were very emotional and upset over the last few days in terms of events that have taken place. We don't know what has caused that.

"We have reacted to something from Bermuda College in terms of academic concerns. If there are other concerns we will look into them. There was no indication from the cadets or their parents until this point that there were any of these concerns before.

"The cadets have entered a disciplined environment where discipline is maybe a little more obvious than in civilian life, but being in a disciplined environment I would expect them to respond positively to discipline that is fair and reasonable.'' Referring to the specific allegation that a cadet was punched, she said: "There is an internal investigation and I cannot comment, but it is close to being concluded and should arrive on the desk of the deputy commissioner in a matter of days.'' She added: "I have never had any indication that the cadets were turning against the Police.''