Bermuda's public education system is failing both gifted students and those that need special attention, according to concerned parents and teachers who attended a public forum last night.

And the claims were backed up by student representatives sitting on last night's panel, who claimed school discipline was ineffective and that a lack of outside accreditation was leaving students demoralised.

Parents of special needs children in particular spoke emotionally about their frustrations, claiming their children were overlooked for crucial services and often ostracised by classmates in their mainstream schools.

And academically gifted students within the public system are also suffering from frustrations it was claimed.

One relative of a gifted child said that, while the boy had tested extremely well on aptitude tests, it took three years of red tape at the Ministry before he could be placed in a programme equipped to deal with his intelligence level.

The forum, which was sponsored by the Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT), took place at Bermuda College and while it was sparsely attended the discussion was vigorous.

Panellist and parent Rita Love-Daniels said her child, who is speechless and suffers from cerebral palsy, was denied a speech therapist for three years and it was only through her relentless lobbying that he finally was again approved for speech therapy this year.

Another mother of a five-year-old deaf boy said the current streamlining approach to education - where special needs children are placed in classrooms with and tested alongside the general student body - means the needs of these children are often not even properly assessed.

"The therapists are not even trained to deal with the problems these children have," she said.

The mother said she was told her son performed poorly on a test but when she asked for more information about the test, she learned it was not adapted for a deaf child.

"I explained that would not work for my son, but she said it was the only test the Ministry of Education provides her with," she said. "That test will determine whether my son gets a paraprofessional or teacher's aide, but its not designed to really assess him."

She added: "I know there are not enough children with cerebral palsy in Bermuda to provide a special programme for them. I know there are not enough deaf children for a school for the deaf, but there is still a responsibility there."

Mrs. Love-Daniels said the special needs schools that once existed - such as Friendship Vale and Orange Grove - might have benefited her son greatly.

"Now I get his written homework assignments and I think 'what am I supposed to do with this?'," she said. "I already have a degree."

While she would be happy to help him with homework suitable for his needs, Mrs. Love-Daniels said the streamlined projects she is sent are often outside them.

While her son had been very comfortable in primary school, she added, the shift to middle school had seen him increasingly ostracised.

Changes some students adapt to easily can severely rock a special needs child's educational experience, The Royal Gazette was told.

Mother Debra Somner said that her son, who is learning disabled, has suffered psychological trauma after losing the teacher's aide with whom he felt comfortable with to another school.

She said her her son was so upset about the change that he now vomits every day when he goes to school.

A relative of a gifted student also claimed that the child was being held back.

"They become behaviour problems because they are so bored," she said. "Then they are labelled as having ADD (attention deficit disorder) when that is not the case."

The woman, who is also a teacher, said it was only through the family's diligence that the child was placed in an appropriate programme.

Government's Chief Education Officer Dr. Joseph Christopher was on hand to answer questions and respond to some of the comments.

Dr. Christopher said the needs of gifted children in particular had come up during the Ministry's Strategic Planning sessions this summer and efforts to improve their educational experience were being put in place.

But Dr. Christopher said students can be gifted in many ways rather than straight academic skill - such as in the arts or athletically - and identifying the best way forward can be challenging.

Speaking on the panel in addition to Mrs. Love-Daniels last night were Whitney Middle School principle Freddie Evans, Paget Primary teacher Wendy Warren and students Kenton Trott of Berkeley Institute and Shanae Nesbitt of CedarBridge Academy.

Both students - who are in their senior year and leaders within their respective schools - spoke of the need for higher standards, particularly for those students who are achieving at high levels.

Mr. Trott said many of his classmates felt that the lack of an outside accreditation for their degree made them question what they were working towards.

Miss Nesbitt told the forum she believed punishments for students who misbehave should be much tougher and done publicly.

"We should go back to physical treatment," she said. "And not in private but in front of everyone. I believe humiliation is the key and should be used on students deserving to be punished. Make it embarrassing."