the restructured school system.

The Education Department expected to have all of the 600-plus posts in the system filled by last week.

But when contacted yesterday Education's senior manager of human resources Raymond Latter confirmed there were "some Bermudians'' who had not yet been placed.

Posts within the system were declared vacant last year as part of the Education Ministry's restructuring plans.

At that time this sparked concerns that the Education Department and principals would take advantage of the situation to displace staff they did not like.

But education officials assured teachers that this would not be the case.

And yesterday Mr. Latter pointed out that all but 17 Bermudian teachers had secured posts.

"Before this morning there were 19 people,'' he said. "Now there's 17 who have not been placed.

"But it is just a matter of getting the right people in the right places.

"We have sufficient spaces for them.'' Mr. Latter said he, Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher, and personnel and training officer Melvin Dickinson met with the 17 teachers on Tuesday night "to assure them that no teacher would lose their livelihood''.

"They know we are working on it,'' he added.