Education and Development Minister Paula Cox has put the lid on doubts that the new senior secondary school will no longer be called Berkeley Institute when it opens next year.

She said the $70 million school, which is currently being built in Pembroke, was simply being referred to as "the new senior school" to prevent it being confused with the present Berkeley Institute.

The new school will replace the present Berkeley when it opens to students in September, 2003.

Ms Cox's comments follow questions raised in the House of Assembly by Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith over why the new building was no longer being referred to by the Berkeley name.

He asked: "Is the new school no longer going to be called Berkeley Institute? If that's the case, what is it going to be called.?"

But yesterday, Ms Cox said the suspicions were without cause.

She said: "I think it's premature to say what the school will be called. I would be surprised if the name was changed, but right now, we have the Berkeley Institute currently in situ and existing and we have the new senior school being built."

And she said for the sake of easiness, and to save confusion, it was better if the new school be referred to as "the new senior school".

But the Minister also said that although discussions had been held with the Berkeley Education Society about what to do with the current school building once the students transfer to the new site, there were more in-depth talks to take place and she did not wish to compromise them.

Ms Cox added: "It would be premature for me to say that the die was cast. I don't think there is any danger - the school is not going to be finished in a month or two."

And she promised the new school would be officially named well in advance of it opening next year.