Parents challenged Education Minister Terry Lister last week to demonstrate their miscalculations in the controversy over East End schools.

They also maintained they do not intend to discriminate against other primary schools on the Island; instead, they are defending their "primary right to choose".

However, the Ministry released a statement on Friday defending the decision to close the second Primary One stream at St. George's Prep.

Controversy first erupted when parents were informed two weeks ago that the second stream will be eliminated by September, 2004. Instead, a second stream will be opened at East End Primary.

Though fully applauding the move to open a second stream at East End, parents questioned the logic behind the decision to eliminate the second stream at the popular St. George's Prep.

Parent Nick Duffy, speaking on behalf of a group of parents, said they also demanded their right to choose, as is written in the Education Act.

Mr. Duffy offered some calculations which he said showed if both schools had second stream Primary One classes, all the children applying for Primary One places in St. George's could go to school in St. George's.

Last week Mr. Lister said he understood the parents' concern, but added he had to view the system nation-wide, and not just in the East End.

As for Mr. Duffy's calculations: "I do not have the numbers in front of me," Mr. Lister said, "but the numbers are wrong."

The parents then sent the calculations to The Royal Gazette and the Ministry of Education on Thursday with a request that Mr. Lister show the discrepancies. However, a Ministerial statement released on Friday did not mention the numbers.

Instead the statement defended the Ministry move, saying Government has a responsibility to ensure students can be accommodated over the long term at their schools.

"If the demand continues 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."

With respect to St. George's Prep in particular, the Ministry stated that previously the two Primary Three streams were combined into one Primary Four. In September, 2004 that will be impossible as there are 18 students in each class. The standard size is 15 students per class.

The statement also said: "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."

Primary schools on the Island are "working towards the same standards", with common materials of instruction, the Ministry said.

St. George's Prep principal Mary Lodge did not wish to be drawn into the debate, however she did offer some facts on the situation.

The school has both the classroom and the textbooks to accommodate a second Primary Four class, she said. All that is needed is a teacher for the class.

If the Ministry discontinues the second stream Primary One class, she said, the second Primary One teacher will become the new second Primary Four teacher. That will, however, leave one classroom in the school empty.

If the Ministry chooses to continue the second stream at the school, what will be needed is a new teacher for the second Primary Four class.

The St. George's Prep has called a PTA meeting for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in reaction to the proposed move. The school's Board of Trustees, current parents and parents applying for the P1 class, as well as Chief Education Officer Dr. Joseph Christopher have all been invited to attend.

Parents will also be applying for a deferment to accept their second choice school, Mr. Duffy said. The date for acceptance is March 15, however appeals to a first choice take ten days.

As parents plan to launch an appeal regarding acceptance to St. George's Prep, they are hoping to be able to defer their second choice to allow time to do so.