An Opposition MP has defended his decision to go public over concerns about the number of students graduating from CedarBridge Academy ? and accused the Education Minister of dodging parliamentary questions.

A visibly angry told the House of Assembly on Friday that ?should be ashamed of himself? after the latter lambasted him earlier in the day for a story in about grades allegedly being inflated at CedarBridge.

Mr. Darrell, the Shadow Education Minister, had told this newspaper he was worried that under-achieving students were given last-minute opportunities to make the grade after failing classes all year.

His comments unleashed a barrage of criticism from Mr. Lister, who told MPs: ?I have to stand here today to defend the students who have worked so hard from the shadow spokesman, who would have us believe that he is interested in students? wellbeing.

?I am disgusted by this awful attack on our students.?

He said Mr. Darrell should not have let the Press see his parliamentary questions on the topic before they had been passed to the Minister.

?Is that in keeping with the rules of this House?? he asked.

?I am disgusted that the shadow spokesman did not come to me and ask why he heard the nonsense he heard.

?I am asking the shadow spokesman to withdraw his questions and to apologise to the students, their parents, the teachers and the principal and leaders of CedarBridge Academy.?

Mr. Darrell later told the House he had not known that he shouldn?t have allowed a reporter to see the questions.

?I had no idea that in fact such an action would in fact be an dishonourable act,? he said.

?I come to this Honourable House and recognise that that was not the appropriate way.?

He said he raised the graduation issue because teachers from CedarBridge had contacted him and because answers were needed on why students were able to sit ?challenge? exams in order to graduate.

?This information came directly to me from this facility,? he said. ?I believe they demand a look at, a response. Who benefits when you have the effect of managing the system so that you can give students, if you like, a second chance? Are those processes correct??

He revealed that in the past he had asked the Speaker of the House, Stanley Lowe, for help because parliamentary questions he had put to the Education Minister had gone unanswered.

?You will know that I have come to you with concerns that parliamentary questions that I have asked of this Minister have never been answered,? he said to Mr. Lowe.

?You know that those concerns go back several months. It?s not a recent occurrence. He should be ashamed of himself.?

Government backbencher , a former teacher at CedarBridge, said he had heard that it was ?a lot of non-Bermudian teachers? who had made the allegations about CedarBridge.

?For some people it?s difficult when they go to Rome and they realise they have to do what Romans do,? he said. ?There are teachers that we do not need here.?

Mr. Foggo said he wished the challenge exams had been on offer in 1981 when he failed to graduate from school and had to re-sit his final year.

Telecommunications Minister said the ?constant politicisation? of education could be the reason for the challenges facing public schools.

?How do you think students are going to respond?? he asked, urging the Opposition to ?stop and think a moment? about the impact of their ?tirades?.

He dismissed claims of fraud in the exam system and their alleged impact on standards as ?scandalous?.

Mr. Scott added: ?It?s a new low for the UBP.?

Calling for a more positive outlook on education from the other side of the House, he said that giving people a second chance to succeed at school was nothing to decry.

Opposition Tourism Minister , however, accused Government of ?shooting the messenger?.

He added: ?Get on with the job. You can?t blame the ills of education on the Opposition.?

He said Mr. Darrell had a responsibility to speak out about the graduation claims.