Gifted students could obtain degrees while still at school under a new plan being considered by Bermuda College.

The college is talking to the Ministry of Education about enrolling students in associate degree courses ? the forerunner to a bachelor degree ? while they continue with their regular school work.

The idea is still at the discussion stage but college president Dr. Charles Green told that it was common practice in the US and that he hoped the Island would follow suit.

Gifted senior school students in Bermuda can already gain credits towards university degrees in years S3 and S4 through the college. Last year, a class of about ten students took part in the programme.

But this would be the first time youngsters could obtain a full associate degree while still at school.

Dr. Green said: ?We are trying to work with the Ministry to take any and all exceptional students. The students take the test now for placement and we can look into college level work. The idea is to let students take college courses in their junior and senior year that would lead towards their associate degree.

?We would like to have, realistically, those exceptional students take all of their high school and all of their associate degree college work and at 18, graduate with a high school diploma and their associate degree.?

The course would be offered initially to bright youngsters at the public senior schools but private schools would also be invited to take advantage of the initiative.

Dr. Green, who has more than 30 years experience in education in the States, said the college would look to follow the US model.

?It?s traditional and accepted in almost every community there,? he said. ?Accelerated students are given the opportunity to work on their associate degrees while still in high school. ?

Dr. Green said a college in Chicago graduated 11 students with associate degrees in network technology last June. The first degrees available in Bermuda would probably be in the same subject but the scheme could be rolled out to cover other areas.

?Students could take high school classes on a morning and college courses on an afternoon,? said Dr. Green. ?They are dually enrolled and have a dual status.

?We are still talking with the Ministry about doing it and hoping to have a meeting.?

Dr. Green said the scheme was an ideal way to challenge exceptional students who were not stretched enough at school.

?There are bored students and I challenge anybody to prove me wrong,? he said. ?They are kind of standing around waiting to graduate from high school. What community colleges in the US have offered and what many public schools have taken advantage of is this dual role.?

At the other end of the spectrum, the college is now also offering a one-year programme to help under-prepared students, who have failed to graduate from school, get into university.

Evelyn James-Barnett, the college?s director of communications, said: ?That?s the beauty of the community college concept. That we can offer opportunities across a wide range of abilities.?

Education Minister Terry Lister could not be contacted for comment yesterday.