Opposition MP Neville Darrell repeated his call for a probe into the Bermuda College?s personnel selection procedures during Friday?s House of Assembly motion to adjourn.

Referring to recent statements by the College, he said it was clear that the College understood the role of the human resources department.

But he criticised the College?s use of its HR department and its hiring procedures.

The College told last week that teachers were hired by academic officers, ?with assistance from HR in the process side?.

?I don?t think they understand the impact of that statement on the selection of the (College) president,? said Mr. Darrell.

?Not one academic was a member of the panel interviewing for the president.

?Why is it that there were no individuals of tertiary education on the panel?

?The College cannot argue that they did not understand the need to have academics on the panel involved in recruiting academics.?

He added that since the College knew what the standard was, it was clear that it was never serious about hiring Bermudians for the post.

?There was no serious consideration given to Bermudians,? Mr. Darrell said.

And he said the College had recently made two more Bermudians redundant.

?The Bermuda College has lost over 40 years of combined teaching experience.

?One of them (former comptroller Jane Smith) was on the path to be chief financial officer,? Mr. Darrell continued.

Another had just received his doctorate in community education (Michael Bradshaw) and it was not reasonable to suggest that he had furthered his education to go and work for an international institution.

?Is it reasonable to assume that he was preparing for a job other than at the Bermuda College??

Mr. Darrell said that it was clear that the College was suffering from structural problems.

?Is it reasonable for us to continue to see people leaving the Bermuda College and believe that there is no a fundamental flaw that needs to be addressed?

?It?s not reasonable.?

Mr. Darrell said it had already been established that the Bermudian applicants for the College president post had been treated less favourably than non-Bermudian applicants.

?What we don?t know is whether the board will be launching their own inquiry into the unfair treatment of the Bermudians ... or whether the Bermudian applicants will be making a human rights complaint that they have been discriminated against based on place of origin.?

PLP backbencher Derrick Burgess said he accepted that there were problems at the Bermuda College, and he was hopeful that College Board chairman Raymond Tannock would address them effectively.

He cited one example of a qualified young Bermudian who now teaches at an institution abroad after the College rejected their application.

And Mr. Burgess encouraged qualified young Bermudians not being hired by local institutions to inform Government so they can assist.