soon resolve a teacher shortage at the school.

During an emergency meeting at Berkeley last week, parents voiced their concerns that some of the students were forced to attend overcrowded classes or not take some classes at all due to the shortage of staff.

The shortage is a result of declining admissions to the school as it prepares to become one of the Island's two senior secondary schools.

Berkeley admitted its last class of first-year students in September, 1996, meaning enrolment dropped from about 550 students to 450 this year.

And it is expected to decline further as the remaining students complete their high school studies.

The Education Ministry reportedly suggested that staffing be based on the number of students at the school.

But Berkeley's PTSA has called on the Ministry to reconsider its position.

And yesterday PTSA president Wilfreda Lightbourne said after a meeting with Education Jerome Dill on Monday evening, "everything looks as though it's going to be worked out very shortly''.

Mr. Dill, when contacted about the meeting, would only say: "I was confident that a resolution was imminent''.

And he complimented the PTSA on the way in which they handled the situation.