The unfortunate predicament of St. George's Prep School isn't just about 26 disappointed students and their parents. It isn't just about St. George's, either.

It involves all of us, whoever we are and wherever we live, because it involves issues that are central to how our country is run.

It illustrates some of issues that I and the new United Bermuda Party have been arguing for some time now, about how the PLP Government has gone astray, and how the new United Bermuda Party would do things differently.

Citizens have a right to be forewarned about changes, participate in them and prepare for them. They should be allowed and encouraged to take part in the search for the best solutions.

Time and time again, though, this PLP Government has jumped in with unexpected changes that, despite the charade of public discussions, proved to be a "done deal".

In this case, parents applied to St. George's Prep on the understanding that there would be two P1 classes, yielding at least 30 student places. The decision by the Government to eliminate one of the P1 classes came after parents had already submitted their applications, and had set their hopes and expectations, not only for themselves but for their children.

The "stakeholders", once again, have been treated with contempt by this Government.

It is central to the new UBP's philosophy on education that the best decisions are made by the schools, and not by a centralised educational bureaucracy and not by politicians.

It is significant to note that the Trustees of St. George's Prep are in full support of maintaining two P1 streams, and have made available the facilities to not only accommodate two P1 streams, but also two streams at later years if required.

Here is a classic case of a Ministry that feels it knows what is best, in spite of the recommendations and advice of the school's own Board of Trustees who know the school, have helped to make it a success, and are responsible for its future progress.

Every government should be willing to re-evaluate its position. Every government meets unexpected resistance; sometimes it is so passionate and heartfelt and ? as in the case of St. George's Prep ? so justified, that the Government has an obligation to listen.

The ability to compromise, to change direction, is a sign of maturity, intelligence and common sense.

Time and time again we have seen this Government refuse to budge, and refuse to compromise.

It has been repeatedly implied and insinuated by PLP supporters that objectors to the St. George's Prep decision are supporting a racist past ? because St. George's Prep, in the days of segregated education, was a white school. The insinuation appears to be that whites who want their children to go to St. George's Prep continue to choose that school in spite of this history, and that blacks who do likewise are perpetuating the same and by extension must be Uncle Toms or ill-advised.

This is wrong and insulting to both whites and blacks, and to the school as well.

The fact that St. George's Prep attracts and retains a mix of blacks and whites that reflects Bermuda's population almost exactly is a tribute to the school. The fact that parents ? both black and white ? want their children to be educated in a multi-cultural social environment is a tribute to them, and it should be praised and encouraged, not punished.

I believe that it is dangerous and unhealthy for this country to have a government who on a "willy-nilly basis" engages in social engineering without the wider community having input or buy-in.

Unfortunately, we have seen countless examples of this since November, 1998 and unless we as a community say "enough is enough" it will continue.

St. George's Prep has a well-earned reputation as one of the best public schools on the Island. It is attracting many people who would otherwise send their children to private schools. In doing this, it enhances the reputation of all the entire public school system.

By promising parents and students a choice, and then taking that choice away after it has already been made, will make it less likely parents will opt for public schools in the future.

St. George's Prep has been a remarkable success story. It is a bizarre logic that leads the PLP Government to respond by reducing the size of the school and lowering the number of children and parents who can participate in this success.

The education of our children and the public school system would be enhanced by encouraging others to build on this model, not by attempting to turn people away from St. George's Prep.

These are just some of the ways in which the problems at St. George's Prep reflect problems caused by the way this PLP Government has been dealing with the citizens of this country.

We need a spirit of openness, consultation and compromise. We need success stories to be encouraged, not dismantled.

We need a country where Government decision can be questioned, without the questioner being branded a racist or Uncle Tom.

The issue confronting St. George's Prep it is not just about 26 students and their parents.

It is about all of us, and the type of school system, and the type of country, that we want to have.