Warwick Secondary teachers have called for Police or security guards to be stationed at the high school by Monday.

If not, Bermuda Union of Teachers organiser Milton Scott warned, there was no guarantee that instruction would take place.

The warning came after a suspended student knocked out a male teacher at the school.

The teacher was on gate duty at lunchtime on Tuesday when the student -- who had been attending "time-out'' classes for students with behavioural disorders at Woodlands in Pembroke -- rode onto the school premises.

When the teacher told the student to leave the property, the student rode the cycle directly at him and struck him on the lower torso.

The student then struck the dazed teacher in the face with an unknown object, causing the teacher to lose consciousness for a few minutes and suffer facial injuries.

The teacher was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he was detained overnight and received treatment for a suspected broken nose and 15 stitches to close a cut on his forehead.

He also received minor cuts to both hands and there were numerous bone fragments suspected in his face.

Police yesterday confirmed that the matter was under investigation and urged any witnesses to contact Western CID. And while school officials could not confirm whether or not the teacher -- who was not at school yesterday -- would press charges, both Sen. Scott and BUT president Michael Charles told The Royal Gazette teachers were not prepared to act as security guards and take abuse.

Speaking after a meeting with Warwick Secondary teachers yesterday, Sen. Scott said he delivered a letter to Education Minister Jerome Dill, outlining teachers' concern.

The letter, he said, made it clear that if security personnel were not present at the school's entrances by 8.30 a.m. on Monday, the union could not guarantee that instruction would take place.

Both Sen. Scott and Mr. Charles stressed that the Warwick Secondary incident simply highlighted the security concerns teachers had been expressing for some time.

"A year and a half ago we raised these concerns with the former CEO (Chief Education Officer) and nothing has changed,'' Sen. Scott said.

Teachers up in arms after assault security,'' Mr. Charles added. "We're not trained to detain nor defend ourselves.

"The duty teachers perform is to protect the students. But who's protecting teachers. Even administrators are in danger. It is about time the Ministry realised the time has come to be serious about some type of professional protection.

"This is something that can't be put off any longer. Teachers are getting very worried and its coming to the point where they will not go outside on duty.'' Sen. Scott pointed out that the problems were not unique to Warwick Secondary.

Noting that other high schools had experienced similar student violence problems, he said: "We've reached a point where we have to take our heads out of the sand and deal with this issue. Teachers are trained to teach. We didn't go to a karate school.'' While a small group of students were causing the problems, Sen. Scott warned: "What we as a union are going to do if members feel there is a danger to their safety, is seek an attorney and get restraining orders against students.'' "It is unfortunate,'' he added. "But it goes to the need to have alternative programmes at each school and the need to have an alternative school. Teachers are not prepared to wait. Hopefully, the Minister will get back to us by Friday.'' But while calling the Warwick Secondary incident "most unfortunate'', Mr.

Dill made no promises to have security in place on Monday.

He said his Ministry was considering having Police or security guards at schools.

But he explained that it was waiting until after a workshop -- to be held on the Island in the near future by a visiting security specialist -- to act on a security committee's recommendations.

Mr. Dill said he planned to make an announcement after the workshop for which he did not have a date.

CRIME CRM