Education Minister Andrew Holness had announced recently that students with behavioural problems would not be allowed in the normal classroom setting come September.

Holness told teachers at the Spot Valley High School in St James on Tuesday that the facility should be up and running by the start of the 2009/2010 academic year.

The Alternate Student Inter-vention Programme, also called the time-out facility, will seek to improve students' attitude, through a behaviour-modification pro-gramme, while they continue their education.

He said in the first instance, approximately 50 students would be accommodated at the St Elizabeth institution, with plans to increase the number to 1,000.