I WARNED Darweners to ignore the debate on school places allocations at their peril (Letters, May 25). Your report (LET, December 6) bears me out.

As a result of the vocal campaigning by parents in some parts of Blackburn, supported by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, the Council is now consulting on possible changes to the school places allocation system.

The current system means that, after brothers, sisters and (rare) social reasons, places at a secondary school are allocated to children who have the furthest to travel to an alternative school.

This means that, in Darwen, children at the Bolton end of the town get first preference for Moorland and Vale over children from Blackburn who live nearer to these schools.

The new system the Council is consulting on would mean that children living closest to the school would get first preference. This would mean that when Moorland and Vale filled up with children living near to the school, any children in Darwen without a place would be allocated places in Blackburn schools.

If you live south of Darwen Circus and are a parent of a primary school age child, you have two choices.

If you don't care about your child being allocated a place at, say, Queen's Park, Pleckgate or Witton, rather than at Moorland or Vale, just keep quiet. Then, it will happen soon enough.

If you do care, you must speak out. The Council has said it will listen to the views of parents on this issue.

To make sure your views are heard, you can either go to the consultation meeting at Ewood Park at 6.30pm on January 10 or write to Zaq Patel, Education and Training Department, Jubilee Street, Blackburn.

COUNCILLOR DAVE HOLLINGS, Sudell Road, Darwen.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.