Some students at CedarBridge Academy have been attending classes in meeting rooms and staff areas because of overcrowding.

Although the school sits on 243,000 square feet of property, principal Ernest Payette told The Royal Gazette that much of the space was taken up by court yards and corridors.

Therefore, he said, the school should have no more than 950 students.

But enrolment at the Island's only senior secondary school was 1,167 at the start of the school year.

By the end of the school term last week it was 1,142. And even though it was expected to decline to between 1,125 and 1,130 in the new year, Mr. Payette said that number of students was still too large for such a school.

"Berkeley would help if it can take in students in September,'' he admitted.

We need to be sure that Berkeley Institute mirrors what we are offering. The longer we delay Berkeley coming on line as a sistership, the longer the difficulties will remain.'' Berkeley Institute, which is to be the other senior secondary school, was not expected to take in new students until September, 1999 when construction was originally expected to be completed.

But with the completion expected to be delayed at least until 2001. Berkeley's board of governors are considering admitting students at the lower level of the school in September.

A decision is not expected to be made until the new year.

Meanwhile, Mr. Payette -- speaking on the last day of CedarBridge's first school term -- stressed that the school needed more teacher assistants immediately.

Ninety-six staff members and eight additional support staff were not enough, he added.

"We need additional paraprofessionals in the classroom,'' Mr. Payette said.

"We have 20 something students in a class. With high need students, some of whom have behavioural problems, this is not enough.

"Even if you only have six (students) who are a problem, the impact that that few can have in that environment should not be underestimated.

"The emotional exhaustion that these teachers are facing is unbelievable.'' The pending alternative school at Warwick Camp while helpful will not be enough, he added.

"We were looking for a programme where at least 60 to 80 students can be accommodated and assisted by specially trained staff,'' Mr. Payette said.

He also noted that while some students had emotional and psychological problems, some CedarBridge students were simply exhibiting signs of frustration due to the fact that they could not express themselves constructively.

"Those who are frustrated can be helped,'' Mr. Payette pointed out. This can be done through programmes dealing with literacy skills. CedarBridge staff were looking into setting up such programmes, he added.

Clearly exhausted, Mr. Payette admitted that he has managed to gather the strength to survive from the support of his staff.

"Many of the teachers are trying hard and want this to succeed,'' he said.

"There are some who would be better somewhere else. But the majority are trying to help a student population which has some students with very special needs.'' However, he quickly added that there was a nucleus of gifted students at the school and "a quiet majority'' who wanted to better themselves.

It was these students who deserved the recognition, he said. But the public, including the media, only tended to focus on the negative.

Perhaps coupons and tickets to shows can be awarded to students who have perfect attendance or show steady improvement, Mr. Payette suggested.

Sharing his wish list for the new school term, he also admitted that he would also like interior work and security systems completed at CedarBridge, a field, a slat house, and an additional basketball court to help students vent their frustration.

"I've heard it said since I came to the Island that this school has to succeed for the good of the public school system and the Island,'' Mr. Payette noted. "But I don't want lip service or empty gestures that say we want to support it. If people mean what they say, they have to provide the financial and moral support that we need.

"Government has been very supportive finance wise, but Government and the community at large has to accept that more has to be done now. Strategic planning and the implementation of plans needs to be improved. Staff development and training programmes, not just for CedarBridge, need to be ongoing.'' Mr. Payette added that while all of schools in the system needed attention, he feared that the focus would shift from CedarBridge as the novelty wears off.