will be cut from education.

And parents, through the National PTA, have launched a petition to stop cuts which they view as detrimental to their children's development.

The news came after the Education Department receive $425,000 less in its Budget this year than in 1992/3.

About $264,000 less, or $53.7 million, was allocated to the Bermuda College.

And Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul said the Education Ministry was still reviewing where cuts could be made to its "wish list'' in order to pay teachers' salaries and other operating costs and keep within its budget. The Education Ministry had asked for a $2 million budget increase to maintain all its existing programmes.

The proposed cuts include 25 teachers, summer school programmes, 50 percent of the Ministry's textbook budget, teachers pay for overseas workshops and conferences, sabbaticals, and grants for general equipment, supplies, and school trips.

But Dr. Saul said even with a reduction of teachers Bermuda would still have one of the best teacher-student ratios in the world.

He said in the last three years the number of teachers had increased while the number of students had gone down.

"Even with reductions to the Ministry's wish list, one can be certain that education can provide a standard that is first class,'' Dr. Saul added. He also noted that Government planned to spend in excess of $100 million on restructuring over the next five years.

And $3 million has been provided for design work of schools and some site preparation in the next year.

But National PTA president Mrs. Marian Askia last night said she was unimpressed with the Budget on education.

"I think he's (Dr. Saul) trying to manipulate the figures to show what they want to show. He did the same thing at the meeting with parents (earlier this month).

"He's trying to make it look as if no-one is going to suffer.'' But, Mrs. Askia said, parents were not about to tolerate any cuts to education.

She said they brought a petition to the National PTA's meeting last Monday night and asked the group to distribute it to make their "viewpoint clear''.

Mrs. Askia said she was also personally concerned that teachers' salaries, compensation for extra-curricular activities, and sabbaticals were being considered as a part of the Ministry's "wish list''.

"These are a part of a contractual agreement,'' she said. "These are automatic pay increases that a Board of Inquiry awarded teachers.

Mrs. Askia urged all parents to sign the petition, which was sent to schools last Tuesday.

She said parents who had not seen the petition yet could contact their PTA presidents.