Teachers and Education officials may soon reach an agreement over the Education Department's new hiring practices.

Labour Relations Officer Glenn Fubler told The Royal Gazette that the Department was willing to talk with Bermuda Union of Teachers.

And Bermuda Union of Teachers organiser Milton Scott said the union's lawyer was working on the matter and they believed a solution was "imminent''.

The BUT -- which has called for a standardised test and personality profile to be removed from the application process for deputy principals and other top posts in the reformed school system -- filed a grievance against Permanent Secretary for Education Marion Robinson and Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher on the grounds that they breached the terms and conditions of teachers' employment of the collective agreement.

The union also called for the matter to go to arbitration and the department to scrap the test which it said teachers -- including Northlands deputy principal Randolph Benjamin who applied for one of the top posts -- found unethical.

When the Education Department refused to scrap the test and go to arbitration, the BUT wrote to Mr. Fubler, requesting that the matter be referred "immediately'' to arbitration.

Mr. Fubler informed the BUT that the matter fell under the scope of the Public Service Commission.

But the union disagreed, arguing that the issue fell within the parameters of the collective agreement.

And both the PSC chairman Jeannette Cannonier and its secretary and director Judith Hall-Bean said the matter was out of their hands as the appointment of deputy principals came under the PSC's delegated powers and under such conditions the Education Department was responsible for hiring.

But yesterday Mr. Fubler said he was awaiting a letter from the Public Service Commission secretary to inform him of the status of the matter.

He added that the first step was to have a meeting between the union and the Education Department.

"There is a willingness on the part of Education Department to talk to the union,'' Mr. Fubler said.

And Labour Minister Quinton Edness stressed that his department was willing to do whatever was necessary to bring about a resolution to the dispute.

Responding to criticism by Shadow Labour Minister Alex Scott that he was shirking his responsibility and failing to help find a resolution to the impasse, Mr. Edness said: "I don't mind being involved. As a matter of fact my Labour Relations Officer said he was willing to facilitate anything that will help the situation. It was a question of clarifying who's responsible and I believe that has now been done.'' Mr. Edness said if the matter was referred to his Ministry, it will follow the grievance procedure with arbitration as the last resort.

"We usually don't have anything to do with teachers' hiring, except when there has been a breach of the collective agreement,'' he said. "The problem is does the delegation of powers absolve the PSC of its responsibilities?'' But Dr. Christopher said the Education Department was due to contact the BUT.