the site of Northlands Secondary School are expected to come to a head today when the issue is debated in the House of Assembly.

The Opposition Progressive Labour Party plans to proceed with Shadow Education Minister Jennifer Smith's motion rejecting the move.

The PLP is hoping for support from the Government back bench on the contentious issue.

Several Government matters are also set to be debated today in what could be a late sitting.

This week, head of Dellwood's restructuring committee Mrs. Mary Samuels told The Royal Gazette Dellwood parents remained adamantly opposed to Government's plan to move primary students to Northlands in 1997.

Not only would Northlands be unsuitable for primary school children, it would not be accessible to special needs children, she said.

"Northlands is not suited for primary children, let alone children with special needs,'' Mrs. Samuels stressed.

"They will have to be put into another primary school and then go to another high school. So the special needs children who are fitting in nicely at Dellwood will also be disrupted.'' Mrs. Samuels' comments came on the heels of a decision by the Development Applications Board to grant in principle approval to Government's proposal to convert Dellwood into a middle school.

The board noted that since the approval was in principle only, it reserved its final approval on details relating to the siting, design and external appearance of the buildings, landscaping, parking and access to the site.

Northlands was not mentioned in the DAB minutes.

But Government has revealed that its plans to convert the Northlands site into a primary school, including building an underpass to protect children from traffic, extending the present playing field, and providing railings for the school's second-floor balconies.

However, Mrs. Samuels said it would be "very irresponsible'' for the DAB to approve Northlands as a primary school.

"I find it amazing at this point that Northlands does not have a proper parking area, playing area and other necessary facilities,'' she said. "For the DAB to approve that site would be very irresponsible. And to approve Dellwood as a middle school we have a problem with because it is part and parcel of the whole plan.'' Special Services education officer Ms Joeann Smith said: "We are still doing all the planning for Northlands.

"That (accommodating special needs students) is one of the issues we will have to look at, particularly those (children) in wheelchairs.'' Ms Smith said Dellwood had nine special students, three of which used wheelchairs.

Because the three were no older than seven years old, Ms Smith said they will be affected by the move.

Mrs. Samuels could not confirm whether Dellwood parents would lodge an objection to Government's planning application. But she said they were planning their next course of action.

Parents were also waiting for Education Minister Jerome Dill to address the many questions they raised at a September meeting, she added.

"A lot of questions were asked of the Minister,'' Mrs. Samuels said. "He failed to satisfy any of the questions.''