Government is looking to expand its facilities for students who do not fit into mainstream education - and has taken the unusual step of placing an advert to appeal for people interested in providing a service.

The Ministry of Education and Development has come under fire from the Opposition United Bermuda Party after placing the advert in the official notices of The Royal Gazette, saying it was planning to continue to offer an alternative programme for senior school pupils.

The notice said it was looking for proposals from members of the public interested in forming new schools to enable teenagers to progress and learn in a variety of different settings on the Island.

A spokesman for the Education Ministry said: "This follows on from the steps we took last year to provide better alternative facilities for students who did not fit into the traditional school setting.

"This is basically allowing any other entities that may be out there to apply to run an alternative school. We are just canvassing at the moment.

"Obviously, what ever entity it would be, it would have to be up to certain standards. There will be strict criteria.

"But we are just canvassing the community to see if there is any other entities who are interested and have the ability to run an alternative school."

The advertisement in the newspaper said the proposals must include:

A full description of the programme

The objectives of the programme

Criteria for admission to the programme

The proposed number of hours per day and days per year for the programme

The number, and role of, staff members

The add also stipulated that anyone interested must inform the Ministry of the qualifications and experience expected of each staff member, along with the location of the site and cost of the programme.

And it said applicants will be expected to provide health and fire certificates certifying the number of students the site can accommodate.

But Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith said he had found the notice in the newspaper both "surprising and perplexing".

He said: "I am surprised that the invitation for proposals was not preceded by the Minister responsible for education making a statement outlining what exactly is happening here.

"This invitation comes out of the blue. We can't run public education this way.

"The Minister promised that an alternative programme would be operational in September 2002. Will this be replacing that programme or are we talking about additional programmes or home schools here?"

And Mr. Smith questioned why people had only been given a week to respond, the deadline for applications being today.

"How serious is the Minister when alternative programme-providers are given only a week to submit proposals?," he added.

"When I first read the advertisement, I thought it was a prank, of sorts. Further, providers of an alternative school are being asked to submit a host of details, such as the proposed number of staff they intend to have and the cost of the programme per student.

"How can the provider offer such information when the advert makes no mention of the number of students the Ministry expects to be enrolled in an alternative programme?"

And Mr. Smith said it was "laughable" that the Ministry expected applicants to provide health and fire certificates certifying the number of students the site can hold.

"Are they suggesting that these sites already exist," he said.

"Either the Minister is unsure what exactly is needed here or this request for bids is simply a way to make it appear that progress is being made in public education."