Several students were suspended from CedarBridge Academy after a fight in November last year - but only a small number of them have returned to school, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The suspensions followed four fights at the school on November 17.

According to reports from Education Minister Terry Lister in the House of Assembly last December, three fights took place during the lunch break at the school on November 17, all involving one-on-one confrontations with male students.

A teacher was hit when he tried to break up one of the fights.

In a fourth incident on the same day, a student disrupted a classroom after a confrontation with another student.

At the end of last week, the Department of Education could still not confirm what decision had been made concerning these students and if they were in fact attending classes at the Education Centre, or how many students were in fact suspended in November.

CedarBridge principal Kalmar Richards said she could not comment on the situation at the school concerning the fight as the matter had been dealt with by the Department of Education.

Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher said he had not had enough time to gather necessary facts to make any comment.

According to Mr. Lister's reports, the teacher asked the student to leave the class and report to the office. He left in anger and pushed the teacher, causing her to fall.

Mr. Lister added that at no time was this teacher ever hit or stepped on, but told the House that the student's behaviour was not tolerated, and he was immediately removed from the school.

No comment has been made by the Department of Education concerning these students since December, but in an interview on December 6, Mr. Lister said the department would consider sending the students to the Education Centre at the old Devon Lane School in Devonshire for individualised attention.

Mr. Lister also said that some of the students involved in the fight would be unable to return to CedarBridge for various reasons, adding that they would be given the option of completing their education at the Education Centre.

He said students were either signed up for the GED or would divide their time between work and school for half-days, but he had hoped they would complete their education.

Mr. Lister said students needed to respect the school, respect their teachers and respect the other students.

"If they can't, then they've required us to allow them to study elsewhere. We cannot accept a situation where someone is afraid to come to school or teachers are afraid of disciplining a student because of recoil," he said.