considering whether to up sticks again after losing out on places at four schools.

The Manderson's moved to their Paget home in May in the hope of getting their five-year-old Jessica into Gilbert Institute.

But when they were persuaded to try for Paget Primary as well they lost out on both. They are now in limbo on the waiting list for both but with little hope of either. And they have been told that Port Royal and Heron Bay which would also have been acceptable for are now full.

Mum Lindsay Manderson hasn't given up hope but said her choices were now limited to the unpopular Purvis Primary school or Southampton Glebe or to taking more drastic measures such as moving or going private.

She said: "But I can't get my child to Southampton Glebe for 8.30 a.m. and then get back into town for 9 a.m. to get to work.'' And she said there was no school bus. "There is no way I am going to put my five-year-old on a regular bus to Southampton Glebe -- the bus driver won't be responsible for her.

"We would move house. Purvis is so bad, we weren't impressed when we looked around. It can't be good if they only have 13 kids going after 30 spots. We don't actually have a school for Jessica at the moment.'' "I'm very concerned -- our child's education is very important. We wouldn't have bought a house if we thought there was going to be all of this.

"We would have carried on renting and paid for private education. But you shouldn't have to pay for private education to get your five-year-old to learn the ABC. I mean Saltus is about $10,000.'' Mrs. Manderson said she had high hopes when she and husband John moved last year.

She said: "We lived in Devonshire but the school wasn't too good. "We bought a house but couldn't afford a private school. We knew Gilbert was good and we wanted to be near a decent government school.

"I put my daughter's name down but it had 17 places and there were eight siblings there who would get priority.

"So we looked at Paget Primary which is a pretty decent school but the Gilbert Headmaster made calls to the Education Department and told us to keep her school as first choice because there was a good chance we could get in.

"It was indicated if Gilbert said no then we could get into Paget. "But we didn't get into either school. I was led to believe that it was proximity or whether you already had a child at the school which was most important but apparently it is based on your first choice so someone from Dockyard can get in ahead of me.

"I should have ignored what I was told and put Paget Primary first.

"We don't know where we are on the list -- I called three days last week and today to try to set up an appointment with the Chief Education officer because I was told that was the next step but there was no reply.'' And she said some parents were cheating by putting in different forms with different first choices while some were lying about their address.

She said: "We know there are children at Gilbert who have put down their granny's address.

"Someone at the Education Department told me she is calling around parents who put in different forms asking them what their first choice really is.

"You are not allowed to do this. Because I did it the right way I'm being penalised but the people who put in two forms are getting away with it.'' And she said although her Bostock Hill home borders on good schools in the central area the school's zoning system meant she would have to look west for alternatives. "We are still hopeful of getting in at Gilbert or Paget Primary -- but they won't say where we are on the list so we can't make an informed decision.

"We would get extra jobs to pay for private education or move house again if we knew where we stood.''