High school drop-outs, including some as old as 20 years, will be allowed to enrol at CedarBridge Academy.

Principal Ernest Payette told The Royal Gazette the doors of the Island's first senior secondary school at Prospect will be open to those who for one reason or another were not able to complete their secondary school education.

Under the new Education Act a person "shall not, without the prior approval of the Minister, be deprived of the right to a senior school education in an aided or a maintained school by reason only of the fact of that child having attained the age of sixteen years, if that child has not attained the age of twenty-one years''.

And Mr. Payette said the law was similar in Canada.

However, he stressed that mature students will have to sign a contract which will clearly spell out the terms of their admission.

"They will have to realise that they are there to work and to engage positively in school activities,'' Mr. Payette said.

"They will be slotted into the senior classes unless there are some courses they have not attained and need to take.'' The year six programme, slated to begin in September, will also cater to: students with a "strong'' academic background who wish to spend a year preparing for entry into college; students who have successfully graduated, but wish to upgrade their transcript and take advantage of new facilities and courses; and students who need additional courses in order to obtain the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate.

Mr. Payette, who has spent the last month speaking with PTAs across the Island about CedarBridge, revealed that he was also noticing a shift in public attitude about the senior school which is expected to take in some 900 students when it opens in September.

"When I first started meeting with parents there were many questions about safety and discipline,'' Mr. Payette said. "Now there are more questions about academics. They want to know more about the courses that will be offered.

"The whole focus has shifted quite drastically. Maybe they are hearing the answers they want to questions and we are also being honest with them.'' Mr. Payette also revealed that there was a growing level of interest in the senior school from parents of students in private schools.

"I don't think there are any complaints with private schools,'' he said when asked why he believed there was interest from that sector. "In some cases it is a matter of finances and they see CedarBridge as a viable alternative.

"We have also talked to parents who want their children to have the greater range of programmes, such as design and information technology and business studies, that CedarBridge will offer.'' Students at CedarBridge will have to earn a minimum of 35 credits in order to graduate with a Bermuda Secondary School Certificate.

With each BSSC course worth one credit, students will have to earn a credit each of their five years in Mathematics, English, and in combined science or physics, chemistry or biology.

They will be able to replace a science course in years three through five with history, geography, social studies, commerce or health.

They will also have to take history and geography in their first year at the senior level, civics in years four and five, and physical education from years one through four unless they are exempted for medical reasons.

French, Spanish, arts and crafts, music, speech and drama, and dance will also be among the subjects offered.

A draft of the 1997/1998 course calendar has been completed and is expected to be distributed to schools next month.

The final copies as well the school's policy and procedures handbook are also expected to be completed in May.

Mr. Payette explained that work on the handbook was held up because of a recently-settled dispute over top posts.

In addition to preparing the handbook, he said work was progressing in other areas including on the physical plant, the acquisition of furniture and equipment, and public relations.

Mr. Payette also pointed out that 90 to 95 percent of the preparation work was being carried out by a team of three people, himself and education officer for social studies John Walsh and the Education Department's manpower planning officer John McLaughlin.

And the veteran Canadian educator admitted that the task at hand was "much, much bigger'' than he expected.

"I came in thinking like a principal,'' he said, "and in reality I have become a project manager and principal.'' But he stressed that he could not do his job without the support of the interim CedarBridge board of governors, particularly its chairman Garry Madeiros.

"Mr. Madeiros is very supportive of education,'' Mr. Payette said. "He does not care if it is public or private. He's on top of everything. He's my key support person.'' Pamphlets with common questions and answers on the senior secondary school are expected to be released this week. They can be picked up from CedarBridge Academy's office in Melbourne House, secondary schools, or the school's board of governors.