Bermuda College is looking at the possibility of taking school students for lessons next year to combat overcrowding problems that may occur at schools due to changes in the graduation process.

Both CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute are predicting they will have too many pupils in September 2002 due to the new Bermuda Schools Certificate (BSC), which means that from now on students are to do one extra year at the senior level.

This means that no students will graduate next year, however, both of the schools will take in the usual number of senior one students when the new term begins after the summer break - increasing their numbers from then on.

Until the new Berkeley Institute is completed in September 2003, which will be able to cater for additional pupils, both senior schools may have more students than they can physically handle.

However, Bermuda College president, Dr. Michael Orenduff, said yesterday he believed the problem could be easily solved if the college and schools worked together.

He said because no students would be graduating next year, the College's intake of students in September 2002 would be down by 70 percent, as only 30 percent of its freshmen come from private schools.

Therefore, the College will have the facilities and resources to step in and provide space and lessons where needed.

Dr. Orenduff said: "Their needs and our needs match perfectly. They will need space and we will have a need to fill space, so we are very hopeful that we can work something to everybody's advantage.

"The great thing about it is not necessarily the space, but the real long-term benefits in having closer co-operation.

"If we have some of our faculty teaching with some of their faculty, that bodes well for the future.

"We still have a lot of the detail to work out, but the schools are looking at it now and we will be meeting with them later this month."

Dr. Orenduff said it was likely that only some of the senior four students would need to utilise the College.

As he saw it, he said it may be that students only needed to attend the College for just a few of their subjects, for example science and math, but continue in their usual surroundings for other lessons.

He said it would be a good opportunity for school students advanced in certain subjects to take part in College courses as part of the graduation credit.

Dr. Orenduff said he hoped that if students did utilise the College site, it would result in more school pupils choosing it as an option after high school.

However, the new Minister for Education and Development Paula Cox said she would much prefer it if all the students could stay on their school sites, rather than leave and go elsewhere.

She said both principals were looking at different ways to get around the problem of overcrowding, if it occurred.

She said: "I think in terms of our educational institutions, when they talk to each other it's always beneficial.

"My preference is to have the students remain on site.

"I think there are some options which the principals have identified, but the information has yet to be shared with me."

She said discussions had been ongoing but no decisions had been taken. She said when they were, it will be with the interests of students at heart, and the input of everyone, including parents.

She said there were a number of other ways to get students involved in the College without having to send them to the building for school lessons.

General Secretary of the Bermuda Union of Teachers Michael Charles said he believed the idea of using the College was very good in theory.

He added: "I think we have to wait and see how this plan works, but it certainly sounds good. Whether it works in practice, who knows?''