has received a lukewarm reaction from parents.

In a three-page letter signed by the Premier, the Education and Finance Ministers and sent out to all PTAs last week, Government said it was hoping to speed work on school buildings that will be critical to changing the education system.

It also responded to concerns raised by 5,000 people last month in a petition against education cuts.

"The children of Bermuda are, and must always be, our first priority,'' it stated.

But the MPs also explained that Government had decided against "excessive borrowing'' for education because "the very children we are all concerned about would have been burdened with this millstone as are future generations in other countries''.

They added that they believed reducing the Education Ministry's overall spending by one percent "could be achieved without compromising quality and standards in the classroom''.

But most PTA heads contacted yesterday said they were not impressed by the letter. Many of the PTA presidents of the Island's 30 public schools said they had not yet met with members to discuss it and therefore preferred not to comment.

However, the reaction from those who chose to express their personal opinions ranged from calling the letter "utter rubbish'' or "hogwash'' to "a positive step''.

"This is utter rubbish -- just another promise,'' said Dellwood PTA president Mr. Joshua Richardson. "When I see the Minister do something, then I will believe it.'' East End Primary's PTA president Mr. William Darrell said: "The first thing that came to mind when I saw the letter was they're just trying to justify what they're doing''.

He said the school's PTA met last Wednesday. But the letter was not discussed in detail.

"Nobody showed interest in it,'' Mr. Darrell said. "A couple of us went to the meeting at Stonington (when education cuts were proposed) and we felt it was a waste of time. And I think that's the general feeling about this letter.'' West End Primary PTA head Mrs. Cheryl Lister said she was scheduled to meet with her executive last night. But she said she saw nothing new in the letter.

"Therefore,'' Mrs. Lister said, "the concerns remain as previously expressed -- that reform needs to take place on as timely a basis as possible.

"Having had so many changes, I think parents are getting disillusioned. They want to see some results. It's important that not only people say the right things, but take the right actions as well.'' Her sentiments were echoed by St. George's Secondary PTA president Mr. Ross Smith who said: "The issues raised are just putting in print what he (Education Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons) said before''.

"If education is a priority -- a priority means that it does not get cut and things promised in the 1992/93 Budget should be met and secondary schools should be brought up to equal standards.'' St. George's Preparatory PTA president Mr. Michael Zalud said he also could not understand Government cutting any area of education if it believed children were its first priority.

"Government claims that Bermuda has one of the best student-teacher ratios, so why go backward,'' he said, referring to possible teacher cuts through non-renewal of contracts or retirement.

Mr. Zalud added that he saw the letter as a "commitment to Government instead of a commitment to children''.

He said copies of it will be sent to all executive PTA members and parents so that they will be ready to discuss the matter when they meet tomorrow night.

And head of Northland's Secondary PTA Mrs. Lynette Waldron called the letter "just another thing to keep us quiet because it is around that X-marks-the-spot time''.

But Port Royal PTA president Mr. Alwyn Savoury said: "I personally thought it was a positive step to explain where we are in education''. He sent a copy of the letter to every parent at the primary school and the PTA is expected to meet next week.

Heron Bay's PTA president Mr. Nigel Howcroft said he too welcomed the letter.

"A lot of sensible suggestions were made (in the letter),'' he said. "But generally speaking the main proposals made will not have a direct adverse effect on the quality of education at Heron Bay School.''