The Education Ministry has filled all but a few specialist posts in the restructured public school system.

Last month the Ministry was forced to look for more staff in Bermuda and overseas mainly because an unexpected number of students registered late at CedarBridge Academy, the Island's new senior secondary school.

It advertised for certified teachers in design and technology, cooperative education, physical education/health, mathematics, science, learning support (special education) for middle schools and primary level education.

The Ministry also sought people to fill temporary posts, including paediatric occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, teacher assistants or paraprofessionals, a teacher of the visually impaired and an educational therapist.

The deadline for applications to all of the posts was August 27.

And yesterday senior manager of the Education Department's human resources Raymond Latter told The Royal Gazette all of the temporary posts had so far been filled by locals.

Explaining that most of the temporary posts were in the special needs area, Mr. Latter said the same number may not be needed next year and therefore they were expected to be reassessed after a year.

"We don't generally bring people in for one-year contracts,'' he added.

However, Mr. Latter said the Ministry was still searching for a couple of learning support teachers and two counsellors because some who had applied were either not qualified or had chosen posts elsewhere.

The Ministry this week ran advertisements in The Royal Gazette for a teacher for the hearing impaired, an interpreter/tutor, and two counsellors.

Mr. Latter noted that there were a couple of permanent posts still vacant at CedarBridge Academy.

"We've filled the English and media studies, but we're bringing in someone from Canada next month for motor engineering,'' he said. "And we have a local person who is substituting at the moment. But he is not properly qualified.'' The Ministry were interviewing up until yesterday.

Mr. Latter said: "The whole process is moving on. We've done some interviews, we're doing some more and we're nearly there.''