At least three United Bermuda Party MPs have expressed concern about Government's plan to switch students at the Dellwood Primary and Northlands Secondary school sites.

Head of Dellwood parent's restructuring committee Mrs. Mary Samuels told The Royal Gazette several Cabinet Ministers had shown sympathy for concerned Dellwood parents who opposed the planned move in 1997.

And she said she knew of at least five -- Transport Minister Wayne Furbert, Environment Minister Pamela Gordon, and backbenchers Dr. David Dyer, Mr.

Maxwell Burgess, and Sir John Swan -- who had voiced their support.

But she said she was disappointed that the MPs did not speak up in the House of Assembly last Friday during an Opposition motion to reject the Dellwood/Northlands plan.

The motion was amended by former Education Minister Clarence Terceira to read that the House would "take note of'' the plans. And the amended version passed 19 to 17, in the absence of several MPs including Pembroke West Central MP Mrs. Ann Cartwright DeCouto.

"It is unfortunate that there was a no vote in the House,'' Mrs. Samuels said. "That (sympathetic UBP MPs' support) would have been enough to change that vote.

"We were definitely disappointed with how the UBP handled that motion. It is unfortunate how the Ministry of Education and UBP are handling this and other education issues.'' Mrs. Samuels said she was also disappointed with Dr. Saul's comments in the House.

"There were no facts, no justification that came out of their (Government MPs) speeches and that is what Dellwood parents are looking for,'' she stressed.

She noted that the Education Planning Team never recommended the Dellwood/Northlands move. And she pointed out that Dellwood parents had come up with an alternative to Government's plan.

They have suggested that Government keep the Dellwood site as a primary school, put the central middle school at the old Technical Institute site at Robert's Avenue in Devonshire, and set up some of the planned National Sports Complex features on former US baselands in Southampton.

"So every argument that we have put forward is based on fact,'' Mrs. Samuels added. "What makes us very, very disturbed is that their reason seems to be politically expedient.'' Noting that Dellwood parents had been portrayed by Government as a group in Pembroke who are emotional, resistant to change, and unwilling to compromise, Mrs. Samuels said it was "ridiculous''.

"We did not just jump up and down and say you can't take our school from us.

We gave them a suggestion,'' she said.

"Our committee is made up of people with backgrounds in primary and middle school education as well as sporting people. And that's why we looked at alternatives and think Government is making two mistakes, one in education and the other in sports.'' Mrs. Samuels added that Government had not been able to successfully respond to any of the parents' arguments, including concerns that Dellwood as a middle school would expose students to negative influences in the area.

"These kids are not going to be dropped off to school by their parents,'' she said. "They will be walking through Court Street at 11, 12, and 13 years old.

"If Dr. Saul is so concerned about middle school children, why doesn't he take the $8 million for (converting) Dellwood (into a middle school) and the $1 million to be spent converting Northlands and spend it up at the Robert's Avenue site.'' When contacted yesterday Mr. Furbert, Mr. Burgess, and Ms Gordon all made it clear that they had a "collective responsibility'' to support Government.

But they confirmed that they had concerns about the Dellwood/Northlands move.

"Here Government is saying we're moving toward neighbourhood schools, when they (Dellwood children) are being moved out of their neighbourhood,'' Mr.

Burgess said. "One may say it is only a few miles, but anyone who knows Pembroke knows that Pembroke is not the same throughout.

"So to ask those children to make the move, I have some difficulties with.'' Mr. Burgess said he asked Education Minister Jerome Dill to take Dellwood parents' concerns into consideration when reviewing the entire education reform plan.

"He has promised to have a look,'' Mr. Burgess added.

And Ms Gordon said there had been "much discussion behind closed doors'' on the Dellwood/Northlands issue.

"The Cabinet is extremely aware and sensitive to these concerns,'' she stressed.

Mrs. Samuels said she believed Dellwood parents also had the support of other schools and the public.

"But,'' she said, "the public needs to turn its sympathy into public action.'' Dellwood parents also hoped to meet with the National PTA executive before Christmas, she added.

National PTA president Mr. Anthony Steede said the group was willing to support Dellwood parents.

But he quickly added that the National PTA would not condone any actions which disrupted Dellwood students' education, such as keeping children out of school.