executive meeting in Bermuda on the weekend.

And Mr. Michael Charles, president of the Bermuda Union of Teachers, said teachers are gradually giving up the notion that it is not up to them to teach children how to behave.

"It's not our job, but the thing is, it's not getting done where it's supposed to be done,'' Mr. Charles told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"We're just going to have to take it in hand and try to do it.

"Maybe less teaching will get done, but at the moment, not much teaching is getting done anyway, because of the discipline problems.

Once discipline is sorted out, "maybe we can start doing what we're paid to do,'' Mr. Charles said.

Ms Joann Adams, the CUT's second vice-president, said there was an upsurge in violence in schools in the region and school security was a big issue.

"There are constant reports of the region's schools becoming more and more unsafe,'' she said. "Whereas previously, the threats and attacks came from intruders, in recent times students seem to be posing an even greater threat.'' In Trinidad and Tobago, a school recently closed for more than a week because of violence by some students against a teacher, she said. Teachers would not return until security was improved.

Mr. Gilroy Satney of St. Lucia, the CUT's general secretary, said problem schools should be fenced and greater cooperation with local Police forces was needed.

"People have recommended metal detectors and all those kinds of things,'' said CUT president Mr. Harry Husbands of Barbados. "What we want to do is prevent the situation from going to the extreme where we have to employ metal detectors.'' In Bermuda, "thankfully we haven't heard any shots ring out in the schools yet,'' Mr. Charles said. "I don't think it's gotten to the point where we have to have security officers yet.'' Asked about the likely effect of Bermuda's move to two large senior secondary schools starting in 1997, Mr. Charles said the Ministry would have to watch the situation closely.

"Whenever you have large numbers in a place, it can tend to get out of hand if not handled properly.'' The CUT executive meeting brought to Bermuda 14 representatives of teacher unions from seven Caribbean islands.

Founded in 1935, the CUT represents teacher unions in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Nevis, St.

Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Also at the executive meeting in Bermuda, which began on Saturday and wrapped up yesterday: The group decided to circulate the final draft of a Code of Ethics for Teachers to all members in the region before it is approved in Dominica in August, Mr. Husbands said.

Much of the work on the Code of Ethics -- which deals with things like relations between teachers and relations between teachers and students -- was done by the BUT in Bermuda, he said.

Bermuda teachers received about 500 copies of A Handbook on AIDS for Caribbean Teachers, produced by CUT, the United States Agency for International Development, the Canadian Teachers Federation, and the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre.

A copy was presented to Education Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira, and the BUT hopes to receive permission to use the handbook in Island schools, Mr.

Charles said.

The meeting was addressed on Sunday by Dr. Terceira and Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith.

Today, the BUT begins its annual conference at St. Paul's Centennial Hall.