Government is backing away from its plans to set up an alternate school for troubled students.

The Royal Gazette understands education officials are considering using special classrooms in schools for unruly students instead of putting them in a separate school.

The Education Department initially planned to use the former Woodlands School on Mount Hill for such a purpose.

But in August, former Education Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira told The Royal Gazette that while alternative education would still be pursued, unruly students would not be placed at Woodlands in September as planned.

"Principals of schools have said we agree with what you're doing, but we would like to have a go at behaviour management in schools,'' Dr. Terceira said.

In the meantime, Government was looking at other locations where it could set up an alternative school.

But yesterday Education Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill said: "There are a number of alternatives when you're dealing with children with behavioural challenges.'' An alternate school was just one option, he said.

"The other is alternative programmes where you take children out of classes where they are disruptive and put them in another classroom setting.'' Alternate school is on back burner "We are near on making a decision on this,'' Mr. Dill said, adding that he expected to make an announcement on the issue before the end of the year.

But Bermuda Union of Teachers general secretary Mr. Milton Scott said the alternate school should have been in place for September 1.

"We are very disappointed that Government has not lived up to its promise,'' he said. "We've been calling for an alternate school for years. And we welcomed it when the former Education Minister announced it would be implemented in September of this year.'' Mr. Scott said he understood Dr. Terceira was in favour of an alternate school, but technical officers in the Education Department were not.

"By moving away from it, that means more parents will be moving their children out of the public school system,'' he added, "because one of the major reasons (for taking students out of public schools) is the discipline problem in schools, especially high schools.'' "Too many kids who want to learn are having their education impacted by other students,'' Mr. Scott said. "We need an immediate approach.

"Anger management is a long-term developmental approach. But we need an alternative school immediately.'' And head of the Association of School Principals Mr. Livingston Tuzo agreed.

"The anger management and peer mediation is one of the options to get the kids on track,'' he said. "But we still want to see an alternate school set up.'' Mr. Scott added that the ultimate step to unruly youngsters would be a residential school.

Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith said she had become increasingly concerned about the need for the Education Ministry to address the "full scope'' of students' needs.

"We have consistently called for school-based psychological and social counselling,'' Ms Smith said. "And we have been calling for statistics and a firm policy on truancy.'' With some young people unable to cope in the normal school setting, she said Government must provide under the Education Act an alternative.

"But I know it is no punishment for a child who is not interested in school to be expelled or suspended,'' she added. "All that does is put a child on the street and create problems for them.

"We have to find a way to deal with the problems that make children angry and frustrated and find a way to help them become successful, productive citizens.''