An additional teacher at West End Primary has allowed the school to reduce its first-year class size by 50 percent.

And according to principal Livingston Tuzo the change, which came into effect this week, appears to be working well.

The new teacher was brought on board after parents complained there were too many students in the P-1 class.

There were as many as 27 students in the (P-1) class after the Education Ministry changed the school from a two-form entry to a one-form facility.

At least two parents took their children out of the school as a result of the overcrowding.

At a meeting in September with former Education Minister Tim Smith, parents expressed concern the class was too big to provide first-class education to all children in the class.

While Mr. Smith admitted the school could accommodate another class, he said the decision depended on the human and financial resources available.

He later told the PTA there would be no additional class because he could not convince Education officers that another teacher was needed at West End.

But after a second, lively meeting with the PTA and its executive Mr. Smith announced a second P-1 teacher would be in place for the start of the school term on November 16.

Mr. Tuzo has now confirmed the teacher has started: "She's on line,'' he said, declining to reveal her name.

"We've divided the class up into two Primary One classes, with 13 and 12 students.

"The transition appears to be working well.'' Mr. Tuzo added the first P-1 had done a good job at easing the concerns of students and parents.

"We wrote to parents to let them know what is taking place,'' he said. "And we will formally introduce the new teacher to the PTA tonight.'' West End now only has one class, a Primary Four, which is single-form entry.

Mr. Tuzo said the class, with 25 students, may be divided into two classes "sometime down the road''.