Controversial educator Dr. Donald Peters is hoping to return to the Island as the new president of Bermuda College, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The outspoken former vice-president of the higher education institution said that he was intending to apply for the top job before the deadline on April 27.

Dr. Peters, who was handed an $85,000 pay-off when his contract was terminated six months early last June, said he would relish the opportunity to return to Bermuda.

He said he had been asked by a number of friends and former colleagues at the college to apply for the three-year job of interim president, and so planned to do so within the next few days.

However, he said he was under no illusion that he would simply walk into the job.

Before he left the Island, he publicly claimed through The Royal Gazette that the education ministry should be disbanded because students were receiving sub-standard schooling.

And he said there was too much political decision-making at the college, which resulted in deadwood and "lazy'' staff being allowed to wallow in the comforts of their jobs.

After such a scathing attack on the system, it is yet to be seen how welcome Mr. Peters' return bid will be.

However, the college is now going through major changes with a new chairman in leading businessman Jan Spiering, who replaced the former chairman, Cabinet Minister Without Portfolio Randy Horton at the start of the year. And former President George Cook has also left this year, leaving the running of the college to the acting President Dr. Larita Alford, who replaced Dr. Peters last July.

Dr. Peters, who is now the senior vice-president for student affairs and enrolment management at the State University of New York, said he hoped his application would be looked upon favourably.

He said: "I have been requested by a number of people in Bermuda to put myself forward as a candidate, so I will be applying.

"I always maintained that Bermuda College was a college of tremendous potential and the students in Bermuda were wonderful. But I think what they need is someone who believes in them and helps them to be successful.

"I'm definitely going to apply. I have no clue if I will be successful or not. That depends on the powers that be. I don't know what they will think.

"But, I'm an educator, and I think we all want the same outcome for the students in Bermuda.'' And Dr. Peters said like the college board, he believed that the college had to be relevant to the needs of Bermuda and had to form serious partnerships with business. One of his aims, he said, would be to make the college an integral part of the community.

He added: "I think the first thing I would do is deal with the quality of education and build the confidence of the students who come through.

"We have the same problems at the college where I presently work -- the kids that come to college are not well prepared. We need someone who is able to get the students to believe in themselves.

"With children, you never know which ones are going to succeed, so I work with every child. That is my philosophy and that's what I will bring to the college.

Peters plans his presidency campaign "But I think that Bermuda has a higher education institution and therefore, they need to put some resources into it to develop it. It has a lot of potential for building the workforce in Bermuda.'' And he said although he enjoyed his current position, he would jump at the chance to return to the Island.

"A lot of my friends are holding out hopes that I will go back to the college, and I would love to be back in Bermuda.'' "I would love the opportunity to return, but the people have to make that decision themselves. I only hope that they pick a candidate that can do the job and has the experience and credentials to do it.'' When Dr. Peters left the college last summer, he said he had intended to serve out his contract, but he never got the chance. He said nobody had told him why he had to go, but he had heard that Dr. Alford was unhappy at sharing the role of vice-president.

But before he left, he attacked senior people at the college through the press, claiming they wined and dined on college property and said people saw him as a threat, so they tried to get rid of him. Just prior to his departure last year, he said: "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.'' But after he left, Premier Jennifer Smith said Dr. Peters had been asked to go early because of plummeting morale at the college. Neither former president Dr. George Cook, or chairman Mr. Spiering, were available for comment.

However, a member of staff at the college, who did not wish to be named, said: "A lot of people would love to see Dr. Peters return to the college. He had good vision for education in Bermuda and would make a big difference if he came back.''