Bermuda Union of Teachers will today issue a 21-day strike notice after a teachers shortage has grown so severe some classes have been going unsupervised.

Last night, general secretary Mike Charles said the action was the only way to attract the attention of a Ministry which has not been listening to concerns about the plight of children not receiving adequate teaching.

He said the shortage — compounded by diminishing numbers of substitute teachers — had been a more serious problem this school year than previously, despite the damning Hopkins Report seemingly putting the education crisis to the forefront of Government's agenda last May.

"The bottom line is that the teachers have voted to issue a 21-day strike notice to the Government," Mr. Charles told The Royal Gazette last night, shortly after a crunch BUT meeting.

"There are too many cases of students not getting the optimum care that they should, because of a lack of coverage of classes.

"After much discussion, that's what happened. We want to get Government's attention. It's been going on since school started in September. We tried to meet with the Ministry to do something about it."

Mr. Charles said the Ministry had not cooperated with the union's attempts to fix a meeting.

"Teachers have been concerned for some time," he continued. "In schools, teachers have been asked to cover for their colleagues if they have to be absent for whatever reason.

"There is too much of that going on. It's stressful enough to do your class. Instead of having a break to do your class preparation, if you have to go cover someone else's class, it's worse.

"There's just not enough staff if someone went sick for a day. People do get sick... they don't get substitute teachers for those people.

"In some cases, because they can't find cover, classes are being left unsupervised."

Asked whether more efforts should have been to keep teachers numbers up in the light of the Hopkins Report, Mr. Charles said: "You would think."

The Ministry last night said it intented to issue a response later today.