Former school principal and Government backbencher Dale Butler has voiced concern over extra personal leave days given to teachers which he claims have led to staffing problems in some schools.

He said the benefit given to teachers allowing them to take one extra day off at their leisure had led to one school being without 11 teachers in a single day.

He told Parliament on Friday that he believed the issue needed to be looked at again because it was leading to problems and causing disruption to students' education.

And he said the school he referred to, which he did not name, had found severe difficulties when trying to find sufficient substitute teachers to cover.

He said he believed Government needed to sit down again and negotiate with the Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) over the issue.

He said: "It has had an impact on their learning."

Mr. Butler said it might have sounded like a good idea to give teachers an extra day off, but when it led to 11 teachers being away at once, it was not good.

Mike Charles, General Secretary of the BUT, last night said all teachers had been given the additional day of personal leave two or three years' ago to allow them to attend their children's graduations and so on.

And he said, if organised properly, it should never be a problem. Mr. Charles said both the principals and the Ministry had to sign off on any request for personal leave, and teachers were expected to give between ten and 15 days' notice, at least.

He said: "If we are talking about 11 teachers in one day, I can only presume we are talking about a large school.

"If it's a large school, it's nothing new. They regularly have a number of people away. Last week CedarBridge Academy had 20 something teachers out to correct some papers.

"I'm not saying it may never be problematic, but it should work like any other business works when it comes to staff taking time off. If a principal signs off 11 people for one day and depletes the staff without having anyone to replace them, then whose fault is that?"

He added: "Surely, once you have enough people away you would tell others that they cannot take that particular day. This should be monitored and it can be monitored."

However, the problems with teachers taking time off could prove more difficult in the coming months after Government agreed earlier this year to a new deal with the BUT, which entitled teachers and principals to additional days off, according to their period of service.

At the time, Ms Cox said it had been the Ministry's intention to make the teaching profession more attractive by adding similar benefits to those in the private sector.

The new tiered system means that all teachers and principals who have contributed ten years' service will benefit from an increase in their personal leave allowance of at least two paid leave days, extending to a maximum of four days for those who have contributed 20 years or longer.