Credit is due to all parties in the dispute over construction of homes in Prospect for the compromise hammered out on Monday night?s debate in the House of Assembly.

It was refreshing to see a debate that ended with a bipartisan agreement and a genuine desire to work together to find a solution.

Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent, who has had one of the heaviest baptisms of fire of any new Minister in recent memory, deserves praise for agreeing to withdraw the housing plan pending further discussions with residents.

His speech in the House of Assembly was one of many that were heartfelt and passionate and no one can question his desire to resolve the housing crisis.

The Opposition also deserves credit for bringing the issue to the floor and making the case that in spite of the depth of the housing crisis, a solution needs to be clearly thought out and planned. Acting in haste would, in this case, lead to a lengthy period of regret, and this is something all MPs seem to have recognised.

The United Bermuda Party?s MPs also deserve credit for admitting its own mistakes and broken promises to the Prospect residents. It may be that their honesty made it possible for an agreement to be reached.

Of course, the real credit for keeping the politicians? feet to the fire belongs to the residents, who have demonstrated that making a cogent and determined case can make a difference.

Of course, this matter is far from over, and it is important that the residents not let their guards down. But this has been a refreshing change; the shame of it is that it happens so rarely in Bermuda?s political life.

One area where another reversal of policy in the public interest would be welcome concerns St. George?s Prep, which faces the cancellation of one of its two primary one classes.

At a time when every effort should be beingmade to restore public confidence in the education system, it boggles the mind that one of the few public schools which has parents tripping over themselves to register their children is seemingly being punished for its own success.

Given the school?s stellar record, one would have thought that the Education Ministry would be looking for ways to emulate what it does so well, or looking for ways to help it to expand.

Instead, because the school has been over-subscribed in the past, it wants to reduce the double class entry and give it to a less a popular school.

The parents themselves have come up with a plan that would seem to solve all of the problems ? and has the added benefit of allowing St. George?s children to go to school in their own parish.

They have now won the public support of constituency MP and former Premier Jennifer Smith. That welcome move may have some influence since it was Ms Smith who introduced the smaller class sizes in the first place when she was Minister of Education.

What has happened here, not for the first time, is that a rigid bureaucratic position (there must be so many children in a class and no more) has collided with common sense (this is a school which is actually teaching its children with great parental and community support).

The Ministry should also keep in mind that at least some of the children it would like to send elsewhere will probably end up in private schools instead, another indictment of the public system.

It is no coincidence that St. George?s Prep is an aided school with its own board of governors. In 1998, the PLP government promised to have all schools have their own boards but has since modified those plans. More?s the pity when schools like St. George?s Prep, Sandys Secondary, Berkeley and Whitney demonstrate what good a little autonomy can do.

Education Minister Terry Lister would do well to listen to the parents and Ms Smith.