Education officials yesterday sought to down play an attack on a Northlands Secondary School teacher this week.

Geography and physical education teacher Mr. Danvers Seymour was involved in a dispute with a 14-year-old male student during the lunch hour on Tuesday.

According to Police, the student allegedly kicked the teacher.

The student was detained by Police and later released into his mother's custody. There was no word on whether he would be charged.

But yesterday Chief Education Officer Mr. Dean Furbert said Police were called "to prevent a fight, not to stop one''.

Mr. Furbert told The Royal Gazette he had received a full report on the incident yesterday from the principal.

"The principal, Mrs. Carol Bassett, was in her office at the school at the time and was available to speak to the teacher, the student and the Police when they arrived,'' Mr. Furbert said.

"The teacher in question was not hurt. He remained calm and in control and dealt with the matter himself in a most acceptable manner to diffuse the situation.'' He also praised two students for "their very responsible behaviour'' in helping to avert "a major incident''.

But three students, who did not wish to be identified, told The Royal Gazette the whole incident was mishandled by Mrs. Bassett and therefore reflected badly on the school.

They said the student was standing and eating a fish sandwich during the lunch break when Mr. Seymour -- "who is nice, but likes to play around'' -- unintentionally knocked it from the boy's hand.

"The boy got vexed and asked the teacher to buy him another sandwich,'' one student said, adding that Mr. Seymour told the student he "must be crazy''.

The student said the boy found a big rock and threw it to the ground three to four times in order to make it smaller. But the rock did not break so the male student walked towards the teacher and began cursing at him.

"Some students were between them and the teacher was shouting back to the boy that he did not appreciate him talking to him in that way,'' the student recalled.

"I don't know why Mrs. Bassett could not get these two (the teacher and student) together to settle the matter between themselves,'' the student added.

"The dispute was about something minor. And we have a peer mediation group.

Why couldn't they get involved in that?'' The student claimed that Mrs. Bassett had mishandled several disputes between teachers and students.

And another student accused the principal of not properly carrying out her responsibilities.

"Is it not up to her to be responsible as a principal?'' the student said.

"If she had time to call the Police and look out her window, she should have been out there. That's what a principal is for.'' When contacted yesterday Mrs. Bassett said she was in her office around 12.15 p.m. when she was informed that Police were at the school.

"I looked out of the window to see what was going on,'' she recalled. "I immediately went downstairs, around 12.20 p.m. and spoke with the teacher on duty, Mr. Danvers Seymour.

"I noticed that some children had gathered at the gate and some were outside.

So I made them move inside.'' Mrs. Bassett said she later spoke to Mr. Seymour about the incident.

"I cannot make any further comment because the matter is under investigation,'' she added.

But she denied contacting the Police, saying it would "be stupid of any principal'' to call Police about such an incident.

She also denied that the matter could have been handled through peer mediation.

And while it was unclear as to who called the Police, Mr. Furbert said it was not the teacher involved.

But Bermuda Union of Teachers general secretary Sen. Milton Scott, on Tuesday, said assaults on teachers were becoming prevalent at schools around the Island.

And he said teachers had been advised to contact the Police, if assaulted, then report the matter to the principal.

Teacher `attack' played down From Page 1 Yesterday, Education Minister Jerome Dill said he and Mr. Furbert met with Sen. Scott and BUT president Mr. Michael Charles last month to discuss the Code of Conduct for public schools which is to be introduced with the new Education Act.

He said he gave the BUT officials the opportunity to add to the code at the October 12 meeting. And they agreed to respond within two weeks.

But in the absence of a response, Mr. Dill said he scheduled another meeting for November 14 and asked the BUT officials to provide input by November 17.

He said he was confident that the measures agreed on would contribute to a less violent atmosphere in schools.