SCHOOLS in East Lancashire started 2001 boasting an A-star report - but ended it smarting from the aftermath of a teacher recruitment crisis and listening to heated arguments about increased single-faith education.

In January, education bosses were heralded as the best in Britain after a glowing report praised their "remarkable and unique" record in turning round struggling schools.

Blackburn with Darwen Council was given the outstanding vote of confidence for the high quality and leadership of its 82 schools by inspectors from the government watchdog Ofsted.

The report, the first since the authority took over education more than three years ago, said: "This is a remarkable, unique record that is not paralleled anywhere else in the country."

And, in February, the town's Education Action Zone was praised for raising private sector cash and spending it wisely by Whitehall's chief financial watchdog, the National Audit Office.

However, by August, Hyndburn MP Greg Pope was investigating how far teacher shortages were hitting local children.

He launched his personal probe as the House of Commons Education Committee prepared to hold its own inquiry into a crisis said to be the worst nationally for 36 years.

Meanwhile, through the autumn, headteachers across East Lancashire seized the opportunity of their traditional prizegiving night speeches to slam the Government for inflicting ever-increasing workloads on low-morale teachers.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, East Lancashire schools were urged to watch out for increased tension between pupils from different ethnic and religious groups.

But as the year ended, Blackburn education chiefs were meeting faith leaders to discuss setting up the first publicly-funded Islamic schools in Lancashire. The plans could see the emergence of state high and primary Islamic institutions.

As 2002 dawns, those talks - and the arguments - are continuing.