Ex-Bermuda College Vice President Dr. Donald Peters says he was forced out to save the careers of idlers and that the Bermudianisation process is putting the nation's education at risk.

Dr. Peters laughed off suggestions by College Board President Randy Horton that he had left six-months early because he'd landed a job in the US.

He said: "I intended to serve my contract but I never got the choice. I don't know how mutual that is. Why I had to go nobody told me.'' He said he had heard incoming VP Dr. Larita Alford was unhappy at sharing.

"Initially I was invited to stay for a transitionary period because nobody is such a genius that they know everything straight away but apparently this woman seems to be a genius and didn't need any transitionary phase.

"I have no problem with the lady, I have no clue who she is.'' He said the real reason for his departure was that idle people felt threatened.

"There's one department of three people, and everybody knows who they are, they have no credentials. They wine and dine on college property. Their jobs are redundant. But it's a political college, no decision is taken.

"There were people who did nothing, they were lazy people. They saw me as a threat so they were out to get me out because they could see me coming for them. "They thought if they could assassinate me they could still be there.

"It's the (Donald) Peter's Principle - people rise to the highest level of incompetence.

"You could sack the whole department and nobody would know the difference.

"As a professional if you are unhappy in your job you get another one but people just hang on because the college is not willing to get rid of them for reasons I don't understand so the beat goes on.'' Political appointments were at the heart of the college's problems said Dr.

Peters, with the board reluctant to axe jobs and harm votes.

But he was at a loss why the debt-ridden college was so reluctant to make sackings in a country with near full-employment.

"I have no clue. It's the dependency culture in it's worst form.'' "A college can't be governed by politics -- politics should not apply. It won't work, it didn't work with the UBP and it won't work with this case. It must change to go forward.

"If they believe it's a Government institution then learning can't take place, it must be neutral at all times.

"The model was flawed from a long time ago and you can see the results.

He said: "The integrity of the institution must be protected if it is to survive. It must be a neutral body, it's the national centre for education and the only post secondary education centre.

"The people of Bermuda must protect it but I don't know how they are going to do that.'' Peters hits out He said parishes could put forward names with the trustees selecting successful applicants and that college boards should be free of religious and political concerns.

"A board of trustees don't have to worry about voters, they worry about the best interests of the students. This model is an anachronism.

"Bermudians will have to decide for themselves. If you decide that's the best you can do then fair enough, that's fine but that's not an environment in which I work.'' He said models from apolitical colleges abroad had been put forward but then dropped.

And he said many of his own decisions were vetoed by the College Board. "I proposed things and the board refused and that was the end of it.'' The college has been hit by internal strife recently with one faction demanding Chairman of the Board Randy Horton and President George Cook resign.

Dr. Peters said of the ructions: "People care about the college. The reason they are probably unhappy is with the way the college is going.'' He said the education system generally was suffering from reluctance to remove those who were not performing.

"Some people think you have got to create jobs, in terms of social engineering but you can't have the best people. If they are not performing they can't get fired.'' He said the Bermudianisation policy was also jeopardising the nation's education.

" It would be great if you are a Bermudian. You could get a job just because you are Bermudian. I have no problem with that policy except when it hurts education, you can use it in any other environment but education.

"You can't do it at the expense of education, it's too important.'' But he stressed that he had enjoyed his time in Bermuda and that there were good people at the college who would carry on his fight.

"I am heartened by the fact that there are a group of Bermudians who are well educated who believe in the college and want to protect it's integrity. "In the final analysis the losers will lose and the college will win.'' Laverne Furbert, who in April led a rebel group calling for college bosses to be fired, said: "I think Donald Peters has been a very good thing for the college.

"He made some very positive improvements. He made some internal promotions that should have happened before.

"It's very sad for Bermuda that he's going.''