The need for an alternative school in Bermuda is on the rise as no less than 83 students were referred to the Adult Education School (AES) from the public school system during the last year.

The teenagers, from both CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute, were transferred to the part-time school to complete their education after failing in the traditional system.

Director of the AES Julia Beach said, for whatever reason, a lot of students could not function well in the public system and so needed an alternative.

And she said she had noticed the number increasing.

Between September last year and May this year, 83 of her 160 students were referred from the public system.

The year before, that figure was 68.

Traditionally, the school was aimed at older people who wanted to go back and complete the education they missed during their teens.

But more and more 16, 17 and 18 year-olds are requiring the services of the Adult Education School.

And while some of the students who attend the AES go there as mature students after unsuccessfully completing their time at high school, others are referred there well before their school days are up.

But, as the AES only takes people from age 16 and upwards, it is difficult for some youngsters to find a suitable alternative to the two secondary school options on the Island.

Mrs. Beach, who operates the school through Government grants and donations, said: "A lot of our students are referred by CedarBridge and Berkeley and the number is definitely going up.

"I would say that in the last five years, the numbers from the public system have probably doubled.

"I'm not blaming anyone for that. For a variety of reasons, many students find it very difficult to function in large schools. The facilities are wonderful there, but I'm hearing that students simply feel like a number.

"While some students operate well in a big community, others don't. It doesn't work for everyone.

"Some students simply drop out of school and come here. We have even been asked by the Education Department to take a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old before, which we agreed to."

However, Mrs. Beach said she had been asked a number of times by principals to take children under 16, but had refused.

She said it simply would not work for the AES.

The alternative school usually takes students for a year with the aim of getting them through the General Education Development (GED) certificate, which is the high school graduation exam in the US.

Qualified teachers are employed at the school to work with the students in small groups of up to eight on English, math and social studies and science.

But, where needed, students can also be given one on one tuition to help them grasp the subjects.

The Ministry of Education said yesterday that it fully supported the AES, but did not comment on whether or not Bermuda needed an alternative school system, although the issue has arisen during the last year out of problems created by badly behaved students.

Education and Development Minister Paula Cox has said previously that she is looking at the issue of alternative schooling, but is keen to avoid placing a stigma on any child that comes out of the traditional school setting.

One option, she said, would be to extend the capacity of The Educational Centre.

Yesterday she said: "We support the Adult Education Centre, which provides an excellent alternative for adults and young adults over the statutory school age who wish to work towards an alternative senior school certification.

"The centre offers an important service to young adults, however, we do need to look at why the number of referrals from the public schools has risen and we will be exploring this issue with the senior school principals."

Mrs. Beach said while she recognised that the need for alternative schooling was growing in Bermuda, she was not sure what the answer was.

She added: "There does seem to be a need for an alternative system in Bermuda, but the adult education school is not the answer. The reason we have such a high success rate is because we are small.

"This year we had more than 160 students, but we could still keep our groups small. People in the past have said 'why don't you get a bigger building and more staff', but we don't want that.

"We want it to be like a family for these young people."

But for those students who are expelled from the public system, there were few options.

Mrs. Beach added: "There have been a few circumstances where we have taken younger students - we took one as young as 14 because the Education Department asked us to, and one that was 15. But we don't really want to take them that young."

Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith yesterday voiced concern about the growing number of students who required alternative schooling.

He said: "The trend towards an alternative education is worrisome. Clearly, a need is growing and we are not talking about schools of higher learning, we are talking about students who have to substitute their general secondary school education for alternative schooling, for whatever reason.

"But it's important that an alternative school is not seen as an institution, but more an alternative programme.

"Where some parents might wish to remove their children from the public system, they may not want them to attend a home school because they want to keep them with their peers in a slightly bigger group."