Police yesterday arrested a Northlands Secondary student after he allegedly attacked a teacher.

Shortly after noon, Police were called about a fight involving a teacher and student at the school on Berkeley Road in Pembroke.

Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning said a 14-year-old male student allegedly kicked a male teacher during the fight.

The student was detained and later released into his parents' custody, P.c.

Venning added.

An investigation was continuing.

However, he said he did not have further details about the incident and did not know if charges would be filed against the student.

Northlands principal Mrs. Carol Bassett was at a funeral for the father of a student and not available for comment yesterday.

But assistant Mrs. Olga Stovell said she was teaching during the time of the incident and knew nothing about it.

"As far as I know if anyone was hurt, I would have heard,'' Mrs. Stovell said. "If it was anything major, I would have been informed about it.'' But general secretary of the Bermuda Union of Teachers Sen. Milton Scott told The Royal Gazette the community could expect more arrests of students if assaults on teachers continued.

Teachers had been advised to contact the Police, if assaulted, then report the matter to the principal, Sen. Scott said.

"They have been told to first call 911, talk to the Police, then report the matter to the principal,'' Sen. Scott stressed, adding that the advice was supported by the Police Commissioner.

Some teachers -- like the teacher involved in the Northlands incident -- had heeded the advice, he noted.

"Our advice to all teachers is that once they are assaulted, which is a criminal offence, it is a matter for the Police and courts to deal with,'' Sen. Scott said.

"Because you teach in a classroom does not mean you give up your right as a citizen. Just because it happens in a classroom does not make it all right.'' While more schools had become involved in treatment programmes and the BUT believed that students should be allowed to return to school when their problems had been resolved, Sen. Scott said assaults on teachers were becoming prevalent at schools around the Island.

And he said while he was not familiar with the Northlands incident, it did not come as a surprise to him.

"We've had frequent incidents like this in the last two to three weeks,'' he added.

"And just as we have a zero tolerance on drugs, we have adopted a policy of zero tolerance for violence, irrespective of where it takes place.'' In the last session of the Senate, Sen. Scott stressed his concern about violence. And he said he would continue to speak about it until he saw programmes put in place to address the problem.

He said it was a well known fact that there was a link between drug use and violence.

Sen. Scott also stressed that the violence problem could not be tackled in a vacuum.

It required an "integrated approach'' that included parents, principals, the business community and churches, he said.

And he said he was still awaiting Government's Code of Conduct which had been promised since 1986 -- and was expected to be passed with the new Education Act in this session of Parliament.