released before the end of the school term.

Education Minister Jerome Dill promised this when contacted about the report.

"I have it,'' he said. "And once my colleagues look at it in Cabinet, it will be released.'' Associate Professor of educational administration at Iowa State University William Poston sent a final copy of his report back to Bermuda last month.

The $45,000-report includes some 25 findings and 15 recommendations.

Mr. Dill is also due next week to unveil details about a new programme designed to assist children with behavioural programmes.

The announcement was due to be made yesterday, but the scheduled Press conference was postponed due to a "technical hitch'', a Government spokesman said.

The plan comes in the wake of news reports about disciplinary problems at St.

George's Secondary School and other senior schools.

On Wednesday, Kim Young, a candidate in last night's United Bermuda Party Paget East primary election, threw her support behind parents and the teachers' union call for alternative schooling.

Mrs. Young, who chaired the Board of Education some two years ago, said she has always been a proponent of alternative schooling for disruptive students as were "many other members of the board''.

Mrs. Young stressed that children deserved to learn in a safe and orderly environment.

Noting that disruptive students often had a "myriad'' of social problems, she said: "We need to get to the causes of these problems and the best way to solve these concerns is to take the disruptive child out of the classroom.'' Mr. Dill also responded to concerned St. George's Secondary School parent Hav Trott's call for him to provide information on several education issues -- including an explanation of the his son's recent report card grades.

He said: "I think it would be unseemly for me to engage in a debate with Mr.

Trott about his son. I would have thought if he was genuinely interested in getting to the bottom of this, he would have contacted me.

"It seems so obvious that if he has a concern, rather than trying to engage me via the Press, he would try to contact me.'' However, Mr. Dill said he planned to contact Mr. Trott and "tell him this''.