Bermuda has more than 100 students who should be removed from mainstream education and placed in an alternative school for badly behaved children, a parents' group claimed last night.

The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) at CedarBridge Academy revealed their estimation after learning that Government's proposed site for an alternative school will only hold 26 students.

They said senior staff at CedarBridge had informed them that about 80 students at that school alone should be considered as having emotional or behavioural difficulties, and should be removed from the classrooms.

On top of that, they said there were youngsters at Berkeley Institute and other schools who had caused ongoing problems and also needed additional attention in a special facility.

Chairman of CedarBridge PTSA, Terry Flood, said the executive had met to discuss the issue and were unhappy that the proposed new school would hold so few students.

“I'm calling on the Minister to reconsider the facilities for disruptive students,” said Mr. Flood.

“It is very unlikely that we will have only 26 students on the Island who need to be removed from mainstream school for a time and given additional help elsewhere.

“We have been told by (senior people) at our school that CedarBridge alone has about 80 students who should be possibly removed.

“The executive on the PTSA doesn't feel that this facility is big enough. We want the Ministry to consider a different facility.”

The Education Ministry has told of its proposals to transform a building on Middle Road in Devonshire for use as an alternative school as soon as possible. The matter is currently before Planning officials.

Education and Development Minister Paula Cox said she and the Ministry were trying to move quickly on the issue after listening to both parents and teachers raise concern over the growing number of disruptive students in the public system.

The problem came to a head in December when every single teacher at CedarBridge held a sit in at the school, resulting in children being sent home. The action was taken to raise awareness about discipline issues.

Since then, the Ministry has been working to resolve the issue, and has had a report completed on what the factors are and how best they can be resolved.

An alternative school is believed to be one of the solutions.

Robin Richardson, public relations spokesman for the CedarBridge PTSA, said the group hoped to meet with the Ministry in August to discuss their fears over the size of the alternative school and resolve the matter.

He said: “We have been having executive meetings to discuss what path we want to take.

“We are disappointed at the size of the school and feel it is inadequate. The number of problem students we have in the school and the number of spaces at the proposed school do not add up.”

However, Mr. Richardson said he was hopeful that the problem could be ironed out with talks and said he hoped the alternative school would be able to get children back on the straight and narrow and back into mainstream education as soon as possible.

The Royal Gazette asked principal of CedarBridge Academy, Kalmar Richards, whether the estimated 80 students at her school who needed to be removed was correct, but she said she could not confirm it. She said she would be unable to comment until after first speaking to her board of governors.

Constance McHardy, chairman of the board, was not available to comment. And The Royal Gazette was unable to make contact with Minister, Ms Cox or chairman of the Berkeley Institute's PTSA, Randolph DeShield.