A story in Tuesday's paper incorrectly stated that the former acting principal at Northlands Secondary was Mr. Warren Brown. It was Mr. Warren Jones.

Eleven teachers have quit Northlands Secondary School since the controversial appointment of principal Mrs. Carol Bassett last year, a former teacher has charged.

And the former teacher indicated that over the period of one year, discipline in the school had plummeted to a all-time low with truant and disruptive students going unpunished, rampant graffiti and assault charges filed for the first time ever against students by teachers and other students.

In a 14-page account, the teacher recounted how the school has gone rapidly downhill after the Education Department turned down acting principal Mr.

Warren Brown as a candidate for the post of principal.

Instead former Somerset Primary School headmistress Mrs. Carol Bassett was appointed to the job in June last year.

The teacher, who did not wish to be named for fear of jeopardising her present position, charged that the appointment of Mrs. Bassett was to blame for many of the school's problems.

In the account, the former teacher said a student threatened another student with a knife during the first week of school last year.

When the two boys were spotted walking around the school, students and staff angrily demanded to know what kind of punishment had been meted out. In the past, such behaviour would have warranted automatic suspension, the teacher said.

And the teacher claimed that: Teachers were told not to attempt to break up fights but to "let them run their course''; Disruptive students, sent to the principal with a note by their teachers, weresent back unpunished; Some students arrived late, failed to attend classes and wore non-uniform clothing and jewellery but staff were told to ignore them by the principal who said she was handling the situation; Numbers of students playing truant and showing defiance increased noticeably because there was a feeling among students they could "get away with it''; and On several occasions a female student verbally insulted the principal with foul language but the incident was ignored.

Mrs. Bassett could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But education officials quickly rallied to her defence.

Chief Education Officer Mr. Dean Furbert said: "All schools have to deal with disruption at some time or other. But I am not aware of any specific complaints about the head teacher in that regard.

"I have no cause for concern. Sometimes, when a large number of teachers are leaving there are a variety of reasons why. People retire or go abroad.'' And senior education officer in the Education Department's personnel section, Mr. Ray Latter, said according to his records a total of seven -- not eleven -- teachers have left Northlands during the past year.

Without including a temporary teacher who was filling in for another teacher on leave who has since returned, he said one teacher resigned, another left to go back to school, another was transferred to St. George's Secondary by the Department, one spouse of a Bermudian lost her post to a Bermudian, and three teachers left to teach in private schools.

He added that another teacher -- also not included in the seven -- was applying for early retirement due to illness.

When contacted yesterday, Education Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill said "on the staffing issue the facts are the facts''.

But he said as far as he and the Education Department were concerned "there has not been a breakdown of discipline at Northlands''.

"Mrs. Bassett has taken a proactive stance,'' Mr. Dill said. "Frequently when there is a problem, this principal gets the parents involved.'' During a few incidents involving suspicions of drug use, Mrs. Bassett contacted both the parents and Police, he added.

"Both Police and (National Drug Commission chairman) Mr. Jimmy Brock have complimented her methods,'' Mr. Dill stressed. "And we think that the pro-active stance that the principal has taken is to be commended.'' Northlands PTA executive Mr. Larry Williams said parents were cautiously optimistic the school was getting back on its feet.

"All the teachers who left put a lot of years into the school and were very dedicated,'' Mr. Williams said. "But as a parent I have to be optimistic that things will get better.

"We are in a healing process. Things are settling down.'' However, he did confirm there were a number of new staff beginning at the school this year.

And while Mr. Williams admitted that there had been changes at the school since the arrival of Mrs. Bassett, he said it was impossible to say whether disciplinary problems had arisen out of the change in administration or Mrs.

Bassett's more liberal approach.