EDUCATION Minister Terry Lister will meet today with trustees of St. George's Prep School as pressure mounts on him to make a U-turn over a class closure.

Parents, Opposition politicians and even two of Mr. Lister's Progressive Labour Party parliamentary colleagues have united in opposition to the Education Ministry's decision to close the Prep School's second primary one stream, announced two weeks ago.

The school's trustees indicated this week in a public meeting that they backed the aggrieved parents, as did former Premier Jennifer Smith and fellow PLP St. George's MP Dean Foggo.

Parents unable to get a place for their five year olds for September 2004 have expressed their frustration and have claimed their rights to choose a school, as laid out in the Education Act, are being denied.

Mr. Lister plans to replace the closed stream at the Prep School with a second stream at East End Primary.

Now Opposition Senate Leader Kim Swan has produced figures from Census 2000 which indicate a substantial rise in demand for primary one classes is likely to occur in St. George's next year.

The figures show that on census day, in May 2000, there were 92 children under the age of one year living in the East End parish. Many of those children will reach school age next year.

That compares to just 65 one year olds in 2000 ? many of whom may be in the batch enrolling in primary one classes this year.

Sen. Swan said the census also showed that population was growing faster in St. George's than any other parish, fuelled by people moving into the former military accommodations on Southside.

"The census showed that in 1991, there were 1,699 households in St. George's," Sen. Swan said. "Now there are 2,084. That is an increase of 23 per cent, the biggest rise of any parish. The number of households on the island overall went up by 12 per cent.

"But the census also showed that St. George's has more open space and a lower population density than any other parish. So there is plenty of room for further increase in population.

"So why is the Government cutting this second primary one stream when it's clear the demand is rising? It doesn't make sense."

Sen. Swan raised these points in the Senate on Wednesday and has since passed on the figures to the campaigning parents and the school.

The Ministry of Education released a statement this week which defended the move.

The statement read: "If the demand continues at at any one of the primary schools, then the Ministry could be placed in an untenable position of being unable to accommodate the students as they move to the upper primary level. Hence the decision to rotate the two forms of entry to other schools from time to time."

On the issue of parents' choice, the statement read: "It is recognised that parents do not sometimes gain acceptance in their particular school of either first or second choice.

"However, it has been and continues to be common practice for students to be placed on a waiting list at the school of their choice, and during the interim period between February and September, parents are called if a space becomes available."

This is the second time in four years that the Government has met with spirited opposition after announcing plans to axe the Prep School's second primary one class.

In 2000, Milton Scott was the Education Minister who made a U-turn after parents marched to Parliament and presented an 800-signature petition to then-Premier Jennifer Smith on the steps of the House of Assembly.

In the end the Government provided the Prep School with two new teachers so it could have two primary two classes as well, but insisted that the school's board of trustees would be responsible for any building work needed to accommodate the extra class.