EDUCATION chiefs say teachers in the Burnley area should not think they are failing because an action zone to raise classroom standards may be set up in the town.

Burnley is to be one of three areas in Lancashire bidding for education action zone status, which could bring £3 million into the area's schools. The zones bring local businesses and community groups into education and extra cash for technology, which is used to aid children in lessons.

A similar zone, set up in Blackburn and Darwen in 1998, has already been hailed a success by the Government.

County Councillor Hazel Harding, chairman of the council's education committee, said: "We don't want head teachers to be put off because they think their schools are being labelled as failing. That is not the case at all. Yes, we have some schools that do better than others, but they all do a good job.

"We recognise that in some areas there is social deprivation and that has an effect on children's education. Some children don't read books at home, while others go home and surf the internet.

"Those are the kinds of things we want to tackle and we want to meet and listen to head teachers to find out what they would want to spend extra money on if they were given the chance.

"We don't want schools pulling out of involvement because they believe they will be labelled as failing if they want to be a part of this."

No decisions have yet been taken as to which schools will be involved in the Burnley zone should the bid be successful.

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