Students in the public school system with hearing impediments are to be given special attention by Government in a bid to ensure they reach their full potential.

Minister for Education and Development Paula Cox said that she had been contacted by parents of children in mainstream education with hearing problems who said their specialist needs were not being met.

There are 23 students in the public system with hearing problems, and seven of them have profound difficulties.

As a result, Ms Cox said, if the Progressive Labour Party wins the upcoming General Election, she hoped to bring recommendations to the House of Assembly for review within the next sitting, which would see greater assistance offered to students.

"We have been holding meetings with parents of children who are hearing impaired," said the Minister.

"We are going to see more focus on dealing with some of these specialist needs, which are not going to be addressed through the new school for children with special needs.

"We want to make sure that those children in the public system, and I'm not talking about the specialist school, can learn, regardless of any specialist needs, such as hearing impairments, they may have."

The Minister said she was looking at how best the Ministry could "maximise the benefits of the education experience" by looking at improving its own service de- delivery for children with hearing difficulties.

And she said part of that had to be early intervention at the pre-school and primary level, which involved schools, and also better resources throughout the public system.

Ms Cox said there were some things in place in the system now, but admitted that more could be done to ensure students with hearing problems were able to be successful.

She said some parents who have children with profound hearing difficulties may opt to send their children overseas for treatment, and, if so the Ministry could be a strategic link, while others may opt for the maximum assistance in Bermuda. But no matter what, she said it would be wholly up to parents.

Either way, she admitted that the Ministry could not be everything to everyone, but said it wanted to assist and improve the system for children with hearing difficulties where ever it could.

She added: "This is something that is much sooner on the timetable than other issues, such as plans for a performing arts school.

"This is something which should be able to be implemented over the course of the next school year.

"These are the ideas and I expect they will be handed to the new Minister, no matter what the political persuasion."