Government will stick to its guns on making Northlands Secondary School a primary school, the Education Minister said yesterday.

But an underpass will be built so children can safely cross Berkeley Road to reach the playground, the Hon. Clarence Terceira said at a news conference.

"One of the biggest concerns was the safety of children going back and forth,'' after students were moved to Northlands from Dellwood Primary School, which is to become one of five middle schools in 1997.

But Dellwood parents were not happy. "The fight starts now,'' said Mrs. Mary Samuels, chairperson of the Northlands/Dellwood restructuring committee. The committee met with Dr. Terceira late yesterday afternoon and "totally rejected his proposal,'' during a sometimes-heated session, she said. "We told him we will do everything possible to ensure that Government reverses its position.'' Mrs. Samuels said Dr. Terceira refused to attend a parents' meeting on February 3 and a march was among actions planned.

"I've already done it,'' Dr. Terceira said of meeting with parents. He would send a technical officer to the meeting, but "Government has made a decision.'' Mrs. Amatullah Bashir, president of Dellwood PTA, said that no matter how the fight ended, "it will go down in history that we did as parents everything we could do.'' They said an underpass was a safety improvement. But Mrs. Samuels said it presented other problems -- like what goes on inside it and how much space it takes up on either side of the road.

Dr. Terceira rejected claims that Government was behaving insensitively. In addressing parents' concerns, "I don't think we've left any stone unturned,'' he said.

Dellwood's field area is about four times larger than the one at Northlands, and children do not have to cross the road to get to it. But Education officials say Dellwood -- which was once an all-age school with more than 500 students -- is an anomaly, with larger grounds than any Government school except Warwick Secondary.

"Primary children need space to run and scream and be able to spread their wings,'' Mrs. Bashir said. "Middle school children tend to stand in one group.'' The parents argue that a spacious environment is especially important for students from Middle Town -- many of whom come from single-parent families and have no playgrounds in their neighbourhood.

Terceira presses on with Northlands plan From Page 1 They say Northlands is too far from where most of the children live. Instead of at Dellwood, the new middle school should be placed on Roberts Avenue, on land once occupied by the Bermuda College and Bermuda Technical Institute which has been turned over to the Ministry of Youth and Sport.

But Dr. Terceira said using Roberts Avenue would require "construction of virtually a new school,'' costing about $22 million. And it would have to be built at the same time six other school projects were under way, causing further delays in the school reform plan. By contrast, less than $1 million will have to be spent on Northlands, he said.

Dellwood also has technology facilities which a middle school can use but a primary school cannot, he said. And it requires little upgrading to meet the 1997 restructuring deadline.

Six options were looked at over 18 months, and all the others were far more expensive, Dr. Terceira said.

"Government has been very insensitive,'' Mrs. Samuels said. She described Northlands as "a sardine can,'' and said "300 children cannot fit on that campus.'' As a middle school, Dellwood is expected to house 350 students under the restructuring plan.

As well as building an underpass to cross Berkeley Road, Dr. Terceira said Government will refurbish the school and build new child-size bathrooms, improve safety on balconies and stairwells, move the Northlands parking area, extend the playground and install new equipment, enlarge the sports field, improve landscaping, and provide shuttle buses as needed between Dellwood and Northlands.

Works & Engineering will also build sidewalks along the north side of St.

John's Road so there will be sidewalks stretching the entire distance between the two schools.

Sen. Milton Scott, general secretary of the Bermuda Union of Teachers, said Dr. Terceira "is being stubborn and pig-headed. I think he should find an alternative venue.'' The Hon. Clarence Terceira