PLANS to create Lancashire's first Muslim state school have been sent to central government for approval.

Education chiefs at Blackburn with Darwen Council have written to the Department of Education and Skills confirming their support for plans to invite the 700-place Tauheedul private Muslim girls' school, Shear Brow, Blackburn, into the state sector.

The decision on what would be Lancashire's first Muslim high school, under the Building Schools for the Future capital programme, is expected in March.

Now the council's leading executive board is preparing for the go-ahead and is organising a framework of task groups and corporate teams to deliver the change-over.

Mahfooz Hussain, executive member for education and lifelong learning at the council, said it was a time to think of "education for all".

And a report to the council executive board last year said there was a growing trend for Muslim parents to place their children in independent Muslim schools, and that the only way of ensuring better cohesion was to provide a Muslim school within the local education authority (LEA) family.

Coun Michael Law-Riding, spokesman for education, said: "There are some concerns over these plans and we will have to wait and see. But the only way we can control the school's curriculum and admissions policy is to bring it under LEA control."

Among the evidence sent to support the bid is a public meeting vote with a majority in favour of 119 to 6, reports from Tauheedul mosque members and school governors.

Coun Hussain added: "We are in favour of delivering quality education for all and we are very encouraged by this government plan to achieve better quality schools."