president of the Bermuda Union of Teachers confirmed yesterday.

Mr. Michael Charles said that only Bermuda National Education Conference Committee head Mr. Melvyn Bassett could reveal the precise fee that Mr. Cosby was charging for his visit this month.

But the fee was in the region of $100,000, he said.

Normally, Mr. Cosby charged about $175,000 for a personal appearance, and anything less than that was a bargain, Mr. Charles told The Royal Gazette .

Also, "normally he doesn't do two performances in one day'', he said. The Bermuda National Education Conference Committee and the BUT are flying Mr.

Cosby to Bermuda. The television star is to perform at a February 12 black-tie banquet and deliver a keynote speech to kick off a series of workshops.

Mr. Cosby is also expected to take part in one of the workshops, which will be open to the public for a $30 charge.

But the $125-a-plate charge for the banquet has drawn criticism. Bermudian autograph collector Mr. Leon Edmead has said it was "a disgrace'' that single parents and troubled teens would be unable to afford the inspirational talk.

Mr. Charles said complaints about the cost were an unwarranted distraction.

"The people who are concentrating on what it costs are really losing sight of the importance of the visit,'' he said. "It's what he has to bring to the people of Bermuda, especially to families -- this is what we are looking at.

"If it saves one family, it's worth it.'' When a rock star visited Bermuda to perform a concert, nobody asked promoter Mr. Choy Aming how much the star was being paid, he said. "They just pay their money and they go.'' The theme of the conference is Parents -- the Vital Link.

While the groups were concerned about losing money on the venture, "we feel it is worth the risk,'' Mr. Charles said. "We just hope that we get the support.

"We hope the rate of sales will improve.'' Mr. Charles said there were about 1,200 seats for the banquet at the Southampton Princess and about half had been sold.

Workshop tickets were selling much better. Mr. Cosby is described by Forbes and Fortune magazines as the world's highest-paid entertainer, earning about $50 million a year.

He has a doctorate in education and has published books on parenting. Mr.

Bassett could not be reached for comment last night.