And last night, at its' monthly meeting, members voted in an 11-member subcommittee to deal with three areas of immediate concern to parents.

Reporting to parents at Peace Lutheran church hall after last week's unprecedented march by parents on Parliament, National PTA president Mrs.

Marian Askia said she believed that their concerns about the education system was made clear.

But, she said, a follow-up meeting last Thursday showed that parents also had major concerns about: The $14 million that was promised in last year's education budget for upgrading schools; The Education Ministry's promise to equalise secondary schools by September; and Transition of Primary Seven students into secondary schools.

Mrs. Askia said although parents of Primary Seven students had received letters about the interim transition method, which will replace the recently abolished 11-Plus exam, some were still confused by it.

And this was confirmed by several parents at the meeting who received the same letter, but interpreted it differently.

Originally students could write an admission exam for Berkeley Institute or Warwick Academy, or chose not to sit the exam and attend their neighbourhood secondary school in September.

But Education Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons revealed, in the House of Assembly during the education debate, that three-quarters of parents of Primary Seven had chosen to have their children write the exam, rather than attend a neighbourhood school.

Admitting that there was not enough room at Berkeley and Warwick Academy for all those students, Mr. Simons said education officers modified the transfer plan and would now allow students to list a second high school.

Mrs. Askia said parents' eagerness to have their children in Berkeley or Warwick showed their lack of confidence in neighbourhood schools.

"The neighbourhood school concept is a wonderful concept,'' she said, "but we have not seen any movement in equalising school curricula.'' Mrs. Askia and parents agreed that quality teachers and necessary supplies were all that was needed to bring schools up to equal standards, not new buildings.