Education Minister Terry Lister?s continuing silence on the St. George?s Prep decision has led to serious questions being raised about the likelihood of Government honouring the arbitration in the teachers? pay dispute.

Both the United Bermuda Party and parents involved with St. George?s Prep have questioned how comfortable the Island?s teachers should feel about the arbitration process after the Minister?s lack of a stance on the Appeals Committee decision to keep the second Primary One stream at the East End school.

When the Appeals Committee When the Appeals Committee made that decision at a hearing held last week Mr. Lister, who has maintained the second stream should be axed in the best interests of the Island-wide public education system, said he would hold a Press conference on the matter this week.

The Education Act 1998 stipulates that the decision of an Appeals Committee ?shall be final?, and that respondents must abide by it. However, Mr. Lister said when questioned as to what he would say at the Press conference, ?there are lots of things we could do.?

Though a Press conference ? with Attorney General Larry Mussenden ? was scheduled for Wednesday for Mr. Lister to make an announcement on St. George?s Prep, that conference was cancelled as all efforts were concentrated on resolving the teachers? sick-out held that day.

But, said parents? spokesperson Nick Duffy: ?It would only take five minutes to do a Press conference congratulating parents on following the process and promising to stand by the decision. Then he can get on with dealing with the teachers.

?I can see no reason why he wouldn?t make a statement, unless he is going to say, I?m going to overrule them.

?That won?t act in his favour in any way when he is asking the teachers to go to arbitration.?

Shadow Education Minister Neville Darrell agreed. ?He has yet to say he will abide by and honour that decision (on St. George?s Prep),? he said. ?He needs to do what the tribunal has instructed ... if not, why should the teachers trust the arbitration process?

?It would go a long way if Mr. Lister were coming out now and saying he respects that decision and will honour it, and likewise he will honour whatever decision comes out of the arbitration.

?The people of Bermuda need to be able to trust such decisions are being honoured.?

Mr. Duffy held firm to his faith in Mr. Lister. ?I?m going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

?I can only assume he was going to announce he will abide by the decision.?

Mr. Lister told The Royal Gazette on Wednesday he will hold a Press conference on the St. George?s Prep matter as soon as possible, but for now the Island-wide teachers dispute must take precedence.

He did not return a call from The Royal Gazette on this matter last night.