the Police: Help stop school violence.

Armed with umbrellas, they defied a morning downpour to pack the Warwick Secondary School entrance.

"I'm here to demonstrate my support. The problem of violence is a society one and it's not going to simply disappear,'' declared Port Royal Primary teacher Lisa Siese.

And the show of strength soon reaped rewards after Warwick Secondary staff held talks with Education Minister Jerome Dill. Concessions included: Extra security personnel at Warwick Secondary; Uniformed, instead of plain-clothes, guards at the school; The possibility of perimeter fencing; A Police vow to boost their presence in the area, particularly through parish constables; and Promises to study the length of Police response time to incidents.

It is understood security guards will now be posted at all secondary schools.

Also present at the private talks were Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness, Police Commissioner Colin Coxall and Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher.

More meetings have now been lined up with Mr. Dill and technical officers.

Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher planned to talk with four school principals later in the day.

And Mr. Dill agreed to meet teachers as early as today, if they wanted.

Yesterday's demonstration -- which disrupted schools throughout the Island -- was organised by the Bermuda Union of Teachers after a string of violent school incidents.

One involved a savage attack on 43-year-old Warwick Secondary teacher Victor Coggin by a suspended student.

Violence prompted Government this week to station security guards at Warwick Secondary, Northlands and Whitney Institute as part of a pilot project.

At least one extra guard has now been drafted in at Warwick Secondary.

BUT chiefs believed at least 80 percent of their 680-strong membership converged on the school yesterday. Also there was Opposition Leader and Shadow Education Minister Jennifer Smith.

Union president Michael Charles told The Royal Gazette : "I am very pleased with the turn-out today.

"It is unfortunate it took this to get our message across. This is the initial message. We will only be satisfied when schools are safer places for teachers and kids can feel safe.'' Mr. Coggin was recovering at home, but still suffered severe headaches, said Mr. Charles.

"I've visited him and his face is grotesque. It is not surprising since he has had 15 stitches.

"It will take some time for the physical bruises to heal and who knows how long for the emotional bruises to heal.'' Protest over violence against teachers "It has been a very painful experience in terms of the physical aspect,'' Mr.

Coggin told ZBM News last night. "From the human point of view it has been painful in that respect, but I guess one moves on from there.'' He added: "I think there seems to be a great need for healing in the Bermuda community and I think we need to look to the idea of reconciliation in terms of teachers and in terms of the relationship between teachers, the Ministry and the union. It is a societal issue brought to the front by this incident.'' Teachers began arriving at Warwick Secondary shortly before 8.30 a.m.

yesterday.

They expressed frustration and anger -- but gave the two Government Ministers, Dr. Christopher and Mr. Coxall a polite reception.

A Whitney Institute teacher told The Royal Gazette : "I think the issue of violence needs to be addressed and that's why I'm here.

"It's a problem challenging the progress of education and we have to come up with solutions.

"There have been problems at Whitney and several students have been suspended for violent and threatening behaviour.'' Many teachers voiced concern over the Code of Conduct, saying students now had more rights than staff.

For instance, teachers had to give 24 hours notice if they wanted to detain a student.

There was also anger that no-one from the Education Ministry had apparently visited the injured Warwick Secondary teacher.

A Sandys Secondary school teacher of one year said: "The problems of violence can't make me quit teaching.

"What we need to do is discipline children early on in their lives. At present there is not enough control or discipline.

"My parents instilled in me discipline from early on and it helped me make the right decisions later on.'' As teachers waited on the steps of Warwick Secondary while Government talks with school staff continued, photocopies of the front page of Antigua's The Daily Observer were handed around.

The headline was: "Sixteen Year Old To Be Flogged For Slapping Teacher''.

The article told how a 6-feet two-inches tall male student was sentenced to receive six strokes for battering a 5-feet, six-inch tall female teacher.

"I'm not sure this is the answer to Bermuda's problems,'' one teacher said.

A peripatetic teacher took aim at the Education Ministry.

"I am a bit frustrated by the lack of initiatives on the Ministry's part in putting in place measures for students as well as teachers.

"We get violent incidents three times a week in some schools. People are getting fed up with the lack of initiatives.'' Some parents also joined the teachers yesterday.

"My son was beaten up in town and robbed by students at Sandys Secondary,'' said one father.

Addressing teachers outside the school, Mr. Charles said he was lost for words in thanking them for their show of support.

"This is not the only place where there are problems, although the problem is immediate here. This is something the entire community has to deal with.'' Mr. Charles said teachers had presented a list of documented incidents to Mr.

Dill and Mr. Edness.

He later told The Royal Gazette that Mr. Dill had vowed to seek a resolution to the problems and meet the BUT and the Association of School Principals.

"We really need a survey of schools to see where security personnel are needed.'' Mr. Charles added: "We are going to have an executive meeting and perhaps another meeting of the membership next week.'' BUT organiser Sen. Milton Scott said the union was seeing what legal recourse was open to teachers subjected to violence.

Mr. Edness sounded a warning over school violence, fearing Bermuda could have a fatality on its hands.

"The problems facing Warwick Secondary are extremely serious. There is no way teachers can continue to do their job unless something is done to prevent children with behaviour problems,'' he said. "We are now going to look at whether or not security can be increased on a permanent basis and we are further looking at the Police response, to see if it can be faster.

"We are looking, too, at drugs and alcohol sold and used around the campus.'' Said Mr. Dill: "I walked around the premises today. There were concerns about the way security personnel were dressed and there was a feeling they should be wearing uniforms.'' Mr. Dill said the security guard pilot project would be reviewed at the end of the month and possibly expanded.

Dr. Christopher said he had invited the BUT and Association of School Principals to respond to the Code of Conduct.

Mr. Coxall said: "I thought as there was intense concern coming up from a significant section of the community -- namely teachers -- about security issues and there had been a serious assault on one of their colleagues, I thought it was appropriate to appear today and answer some of the concerns.'' Mr. Coxall said Police were investigating the assault on the teacher.

And he believed criticism over Police response time was founded on a misunderstanding.

"I think I was able to clarify that issue. We had a call from the hospital via the 911 system that the teacher was taken in there with serious injuries.

"We got detectives there within 20 minutes and the investigation flowed from that. An arrest was made shortly afterwards.'' Mr. Coxall said the profile of policing around Warwick Secondary would be raised.

He pointed out 25 parish constables -- four of them in Warwick -- had been appointed.

Now more parish constable time would be given to the area around Warwick Secondary.