Hundreds of public school teachers will head to Berkeley after school today to hear details of an increased compensation proposal from Government.

Bermuda Union of Teachers president Lisa Trott told The Royal Gazette she was cautiously optimistic teachers will like the increased offer although she declined to discuss details.

She said: "I think they will be pleased with it."

An arbitration hearing granted teachers 4.5 percent in 2006-2007 and 4.0 percent in 2007-08.

The award was rejected by the Bermuda Union of Teachers during long-running talks with the Ministry of Education.

The final figures were agreed by an arbitration panel after those talks broke down and are binding as both parties agreed to arbitration.

The Royal Gazette understands the extra component to the package is for year three and arose after teachers requested clarification of the arbitration decision.

Ms Trott said teachers were frustrated with a number of other issues including having to buy their own supplies and do their own maintenance.

And there is lingering unhappiness with the way the review into the public education is being handled.

A damning study of Bermuda's public school system by British professor David Hopkins and a team of experts called for a "major restructuring" of the Ministry of Education and a temporary external executive board to oversee changes throughout the education system.

The Interim Executive Board includes business leaders and meets once a week to draw up measures to meet the report's recommendations. Teachers and school staff however have accused the Board of operating secretively and leaving them out of the process.

It led to Education Minister Randy Horton admitting in July that communication between Government and teachers could be better as strike rumours swirled.

However Ms Trott said problems remained: "In general they are very much feeling in the dark with regard to what is going on with the review, what their position will be, what their role will be — that is the sentiment given to me.

"We still continue to hear we will be an integral part of the review, however the evidence is that is still lacking."

Ms Trott said teachers had come back to the usual start-of-term chaos.

"Classrooms are not ready, they have all this craziness in their schedule.

"Teachers call — they can't get into their classrooms, painting is going on, the floor is not ready."

Some had to do the painting or defumigating themselves said Ms Trott who added that teachers had been deluging the supply stores buying materials out of their own pockets without any chance of reimbursement.

In June teachers went on a work to rule in anger over their pay offer.

Asked whether the members were again in a militant mood Ms Trott said: "I am just not sure, you can never predict human behaviour."