Education Minister Jerome Dill yesterday defended Government's plans to put "isolation rooms'' in middle schools.

He was responding to comments made by Opposition Leader Jennifer Smith last week.

Ms Smith, who is also the Shadow Education Minister, questioned the origin and rationale of the plans.

She pointed out that neither Government, in its original plans for middle schools, nor the Education Planning Team -- which came up with recommendations for education reform in 1987 -- mentioned isolation rooms.

She also called on Government to share any information it may have obtained to justify the need for such rooms.

And she questioned why the room -- which is included in plans for Dellwood -- will, according to Senior Education Officer of Student Services Joeann Smith, "eventually be in all middle schools and in senior schools''.

But Mr. Dill stressed that an isolation room was not a new idea.

"Our records indicate that as of September, 1992 that was the position that our Ministry in conjunction with Works and Engineering had decided,'' he said.

"If anyone would have inquired about it, we would have been happy to explain.'' Education officials last week told The Royal Gazette the room would be just one of several options to help teachers deal with students with behavioural disorders.

However, Mr. Dill said the origin of the idea for such rooms should not be an issue.

"The EPT (Education Planning Team) did not include any building specifications,'' he pointed out. "The EPT did not mention counselling rooms where counselling can take place.

"But if you have a child with a behavioural problem, which is a disability, the last thing you want to do is interact with that child in a noisy environment.

"The other benefit, which Mrs. Joeann Smith pointed out, is that with such a room you give a child the opportunity to calm down. Sometimes a child with a behavioural problem is unaware of what he is doing or why he is acting that way.

"Anybody who is a parent with a child who is disturbed knows the benefit of such a room.'' Mr. Dill said if Ms Smith was concerned about the term "isolation'' room, he was willing to rename the area a "quiet'' room or "time-out'' room.

"I don't think any parent would object to having their child taken to a quiet room and interacting with a counsellor,'' he added.

Contrary to Ms Smith's belief that such a method of discipline was inappropriate for middle school students, Mr. Dill pointed out child psychologists, like Government behavioural specialist Dr. Judith Bartley, supported it.

And he urged Ms Smith and Education Ministry critics to stop focusing on the negative.

"September 1, 1997 (the scheduled date for middle schools to open) is just around the corner,'' Mr. Dill said. "If you don't have a fundamental difference or philosophical difference, why whip up controversy? "Our children need our support. They don't need points that have no bearing on their success.''