secondary for Bermuda, Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith told a meeting of the Dellwood Primary PTA last night.

She also backtracked on previous support for the proposed alternative school for disruptive students.

And she charged Government was mismanaging the mainstreaming of students with disabilities.

Government had failed to provide them with an opportunity to gain a BSSC or take an equivalent external examination so they could go on to college like their counterparts in the United States, she said.

"It (mainstreaming) has not been well thought out,'' she claimed. "If they (special needs students) do not take the BSSC what do they get? There have been no preparations to include them in those going off to university. We are stopping them because this Ministry does not honestly believe every child can learn!'' Ms Smith also questioned Government's claims that more than 80 percent of local students go on to seek further education.

When she queried the figure, she said she was told by officials it came from a form asking fourth-year students their "intentions''.

Ms Smith said she remained against the "mega-senior secondary'' and agreed with Dellwood PTA's suggestion that along with Prospect (1,200 students) and Berkeley (600), Chaffee could be a third high school under the education reform plans set to kick in soon.

Ms Smith, one of two guest speakers at the meeting attended by about 50 parents and teachers, also revealed she had changed her mind about the effectiveness of the proposed "alternative school'' for disruptive kids.

Veteran educator Mrs. Marion deJean went further saying Government had already "stigmatised'' the school by calling it an "alternative'' place for troublemakers when it could have said it was for students who needed extra help.

Ms Smith said: "I have had reservations about having a separate school for troublemakers. I recognise the need to take the children out of the class but it might be better to have that facility within the school where the child is removed from the class but not the school. I don't think we should jump into this.'' Mrs. deJean said she was sorry the Education Ministry had "already stigmatised'' the school with its comments. "It would have been better to say it employed another way of teaching,'' she said.

Both Mrs. deJean and Miss Smith agreed that despite the opposition it was time to start looking forward in the education reform plans to ensure the students who have no choice but to go to the middle schools and senior secondary get a good education within the buildings.