A shortage of paraeducators in the Government school system may be compromising the educations of the some of the Island?s neediest children, has learned.

According to an internal Department of Education memo leaked to the newspaper, there is more demand for the paraeducators than can currently be supported and hiring new staff is ?not an option?.

Paraeducators were brought into the school system to assist students with intense needs such as learning disabilities and physical challenges.

But while all the paraeducators have been assigned, the Education Department has found that many students with special needs are still going unassisted.

Senior Education Officer Joeann Smith has called for a review of the current use of paraeducators to determine if any can be reassigned to more needy students.

?This school year all learning support paraeducators have been assigned to assist with the support of students,? Ms Smith wrote in the memo dated October 27, 2004.

?However, there remains a demand for paraeducators for students with intense needs. Some of these students? educations are being compromised due to lack of support. Since requesting additional staff is not an option, I am obliged to find ways to support these students using existing resources.?

Ms Smith has asked education officers responsible for learning support to review the assignments of all paraeducators and report back by November 19.

Meanwhile some of the Island?s neediest students are waiting for critical support.

One father of a learning challenged child wrote a letter to the Editor of about his frustrations in trying to get her the support she needs, now during her early schooling.

The father, who asked that his name be withheld, said he and his wife had decided to keep their four-year-old in preschool an extra year ? rather than going to Primary 1 as is required by law ? but when they wrote to the Minister of Education for special permission to do so, they did not get a reply for three months ? by that time all the preschools in their Parish were full.

?A mind is a terrible thing to waste,? he wrote. ?She is only four years old ? don?t hurt her Mr. Lister (Minister of Education Terry Lister) ... help her.?

He said a Government school psychologist, an Education Officer and an independent professional psychologist had all recommended that his daughter be given ?a) a paraeducator, b) speech, language and occupational therapy and c) an individualised education programme?.

But all paraeducators are currently assigned to students and his daughter has been left without one.

?Without recommendation ?a? there is no ?c?, as for ?b? we?re still waiting,? he wrote. ?The Ministry needs to hire more (paraeducators) or their slogan that ?Every Child a Winner? will be untrue.?

In the meantime, the family have elected to seek private help to support their daughter.

?We are going to take our daughter to the Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally recognised organisation that specialises in paediatric developmental disabilities, and have them assess our daughter?s educational needs,? the father wrote.

?This is not covered by insurance and is going to cost us a small fortune but we will do it. This will save the Ministry of Education the cost and time of researching and creating the individualised education programme.

?I would then like the Ministry to fulfil its role and provide the special education for all the children out there who desperately need special attention.?

This week Permanent Secretary for Education Michelle Khaldun admitted that the number of students who require additional support has exceeded the resources available.

The hope is that the review underway will find paraeducators within the system who can be better utilised.

Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) General Secretary Mike Charles said that both paraeducators and teachers have told him there is a shortage of paraeducators in the schools.

But when contacted a number of schools this week, some principals said they are happy with their complement of paraeducators.