A programme teaching teenagers to referee disputes among themselves is overbooked by St. George's Secondary School students who say it has put an end to fights. The peer mediation programme, sponsored by the Coalition for the Protection of Children, is now in its second year after the school declared it successful in improving behaviour among students.

"Ninety-six percent of the teachers wanted it back and we had good support from the parents,'' said Coalition head, Mrs. Sheilagh Cooper. "Attitudes to violence at the school have substantially changed.'' School counsellor, Miss Renna Lee Paiva, said she was overwhelmed by the numbers of students who wanted to take part in the programme this year.

"We couldn't say no to them,'' said school counsellor, Miss Renna Lee Paiva.

"They have a lot to say and they really want to be involved in the school.'' School children aged 12 to 17 in nine other schools have also adopted the programme after it won over St. George's Secondary last year.

"We were the guinea pigs,'' Miss Paiva said. "We praise the programme because from October to the end of the last school year we never had another fight.'' While fighting at the school was no worse than in other schools, violence in the community engendered violence at school, she said.

"Our society is dealing with violence and drug abuse so we have to talk to these kids straight about it. Every one of those kids has either seen a gun or knows who has them.

"So we are trying to empower them to stand up to the pressures.'' During a two-day workshop, school counsellors, Miss Paiva and Mr. Anthony Peets will teach 36 children how to help resolve conflict between their peers by helping them talk it out.

"When you do mediation you can't be judgmental,'' Miss Paiva told them at yesterday's workshop. "Listen to what the person says and read his body language.'' But she said winning over the bullies was critical to the success of the programme.

"We don't just take the goody-goodies,'' she said. "We try to get the fighters too.'' Students are formally invited to air their grievances with student and teacher mediators present.

"They are allowed to argue and say exactly what they want to but they are not allowed to be abusive,'' Miss Paiva said.

Student mediator, Patsy James, 13, said the biggest problem was when students refused to take part.

"Most of them don't want to do it because they think it's stupid,'' she admitted. But she added there had been a big improvement at school.

"If it's a choice between mediation and suspension, they will prefer to talk about it.'' Starla Humphrey, 15, said students needed to learn how to communicate with each other to solve their problems.

"It's worked,'' enthused Tyciee White, 16. "It's turned into a buddy system.

We are all friends.'' But the Coalition, which at present foots the $100,000 annual cost of the programme, is appealing to the public to lend its financial support.

"It would be good to keep it,'' Mrs. Cooper said. "But it will need funding.''