Shadow Minister of Education and Paget East MP Grant Gibbons said he and parents will fight to keep Gilbert Institute open.

Earlier this year a leaked document indicated that Government was considering closing five primary schools East End Primary, Prospect Primary, Gilbert Institute, Heron Bay Primary and Dalton E. Tucker Primary and moving students to other institutions.

The news caused an uproar and Dr. Gibbons said Gilbert Institute has now been told they can take students for the fall, but are not sure what will happen after that. He said: "The parents have been rallying for the school. It does a really good job and they like the teachers.

"In the public education system the parents passionately guard those schools that work for them. There's a really good community of support here."

Gilbert Institute, on St. Michael's Road, has 120 [pupils and was founded 75 years ago with the help of the Gilbert Family. It is also the primary school designated for those children who are hearing-impaired.

Suzanne DeCouto, President of Gilbert School's PTA, said it is constantly placing children on the waiting list and the other of two hearing-impaired Gilbert students said the community was worried about what would happen to those students if the schools are consolidated.

She said: "My son is hearing-impaired and now my little one is hearing-impaired. We have two teachers here for the deaf. What happens to that if it closes?

"We have a waiting list for the school as well. The new housing and the amount of kids there will have an effect.

"And it needs some real maintenance and we have been told that will happen this summer."