Parents of students at a public primary school claim their children's education is being ruined -- because classes are too large.

And they have vowed to do whatever it takes to solve the situation in the new school year.

Concerned mother Mary Jane Lambert told The Royal Gazette she signed up her five-year-old son at West End Primary in February, believing it would be two-form entry.

But during the last week of school parents learned from education officials that there would only be one first-year class at West End.

"There was not one parent in support of that,'' Mrs. Lambert said.

"So where some kids are staying back, instead of having 25 students they will have 27 in one class.

"We also know that people have been calling the school and are still trying to get their children into West End. Now they will have to go as far as Purvis.

"If you live in Boaz Island and your young one is going to Purvis, that's just not right.

"This is a crucial year. They are just starting.'' Mrs. Lambert also noted that the drastic change in class size could have a negative impact on children.

"My son is going from a pre-school ratio of 10 to one to 25 to one,'' she said.

"We feel we're being neglected because everything is middle schools and CedarBridge.

"We're not saying we have anything against one-form entry. But if you're going to have 25 students in one class, at least put in a teacher assistant.'' "There's nothing wrong with having two classes of 18 students or two classes of 15. By the second year those classes will fill out,'' she added. "I believe they (the Ministry) have something written that they were going to strive for lower numbers. So what happened?'' Mrs. Lambert explained that parents had kept quiet about the issue during the summer because they were giving the Education Department "a chance'' to rectify it.

"It's wrong because the children will have a bad start,'' she added. "Had we known this in February we would have fought it then.'' Two years ago West End parents presented a 800-name petition to then Education Minister Jerome Dill, rejecting the Ministry's plan to make the school one-form entry.

At that time the Ministry promised to return the school to its two-form entry state the next year and carry out a Island-wide review of primary school classroom sizes.

But during the past school year West End had two first-year classes, one second-year class, one year-three class, and two year-four classes.

Parents demand smaller classes Another concerned mother, Janice Battersbee, said parents have been calling for a lower student-teacher ratio for years.

"Fifteen to one is not at all unrealistic,'' she said. "For our children's sake we feel that they can take advantage of having a more personal touch from teachers and teachers can teach them better.

"The problem is the management of public schools at the primary level.

"It is ridiculous that we keep flip-flopping backwards from one-form entry to two-form entry.'' "If we were to have a national policy on the student-teacher ratio, it would be good for students, parents, and teachers,'' Mrs. Battersbee added.

"Parents would be able to keep more in touch with teachers.

"For example at PTA meetings it is not uncommon for parents to arrive at 7.30 p.m. and stand around hours waiting to talk to teachers.

"With a smaller class size this would not happen. Also parents get to know teachers and teachers get to know parents better.'' Mrs. Battersbee stressed that parents have vowed to have the issue addressed.

"We're not going to back down from this,'' she said. "We're hoping that there can be a change by this school year.

"Parents really need to take seriously their children's education. If we don't actively take part and make demands, our children will be left behind.

"We deserve better. You can't build a house from the roof first. You have to start at the foundation. And our foundation has been neglected.

"I can understand the attention given to middle schools and the senior school, but not at the expense of the primary school.'' West End PTA president Sybilla Ross has arranged a meeting with Education Minister Tim Smith for September 19.

"We would hope something good would come of it,'' she said. "But we will see.

"It's not just West End. They've said all Government primary schools will be one-form entry. They said the limit will be 25 students in each class. But you find some classes with 27.

"I know one lady who lives in Somerset and the only space available was at Prospect so she had to send her child to Prospect Primary.'' Turning to the student-teacher ratio issue, Mrs. Ross said: "The teachers (in primary schools) are good teachers, but they can only do so much.

"And it is not fair to the children. You have some children above average and some below. With 25 students, some of them are bound to get left behind.'' Bermuda Union of Teachers president Michael Charles echoed similar sentiments.

Stressing the importance of the primary school level, Mr. Charles said: "If you don't get it (education) there, you're messed up for the rest of the time.'' He added that he did not understand why the Ministry was bent on having one-form entry schools in the Somerset area.

"You've got two schools which could be two-form entry and for some reason the Ministry has insisted on one-form entry,'' he said. "If that continues that means it (West End) will only be a one-form entry school.

"I don't understand. Right now they have accepted 27 students for the first year. If they accepted three more, they could have two classes of 15. From what I understand people are still calling to get their children into the school.'' He said the incident was another example of the lip service the Ministry was paying to education.

Mr. Smith could not be reached for comment. But Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher said West End will have one-form entry at the first year level due to the number of students enrolled.

"Whether that will continue (next year) will depend on the numbers,'' he added. "We determine the forms of entry based on the numbers.'' Dr. Christopher also said he could not confirm whether the number of classes had been reduced at other primary schools throughout the Island.

"I don't have the information in front of me,'' he said.

Dr. Joseph Christopher