STAFF and parents today spoke out against a shake-up of education for disabled children in Blackburn and Darwen which could lead to the closure of some special schools.

A review group set up in April, 1998, made up of head teachers, council education chiefs, social services officers and health service representatives, has been considering the future of the borough's six special schools.

And they have advised councillors to cut back in favour of improvement of expertise and resources in mainstream schools.

Education bosses have already met teachers and governors from Broadlands Nursery, Blackamoor, Dame Evelyn Fox and Crosshill schools to explain the need for change and ask for their views.

Councillors have been presented with three possible options:

One primary school for children with complex difficulties and a similar secondary school as well as a secondary school for children with moderate learning difficulties.

One school for children of all ages with complex difficulties and a secondary school for children with moderate learning difficulties .

One school for children of all ages with complex difficulties and one for children of all ages with moderate learning difficulties. Staff at Crosshill and Blackamoor have criticised the plan and parents are expected to write to the council opposing changes. Council officials have met with parents at Crosshill and a similar meeting is due at Blackamoor on Monday.

Blackamoor headteacher Anita Abram said: "The school governors, the staff and myself are very disappointed that the options being put forward do not preserve our school as a separate institution.

"I have spoken to many parents this week and they feel the same way.

"This school has provided education for children with special needs from Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn for more than 60 years.

"By taking this course of action the council is undervaluing the levels of expertise that our staff have built up over the years."

Ian Maddison the deputy head at Crosshill said: "Two of the options would mean that the school would no longer provide primary education.

"The fear is that would remove the caring family atmosphere that we have at Crosshill." Jean Nicholson, a parent governor at Crosshill, added: "A lot of parents came to the meeting not knowing what it was about and it seems the council has already made its mind up."

But Jane Barrie, head of Dame Evelyn Fox is backing the council. She said: "This is part of a national review that has been recommended by the Government.

"I am very confident that the councillors will not introduce any measures that will not be in the interests of children with special needs in the borough."

The future of Tullyallan and Bank Hey schools, which cater for children with behaviour and emotional problems, will be considered separately.

Council officers are keen to stress that no final decisions have been taken.

A report which will be presented to councillors explains: "An increasing number of children with profound and complex disabilities are surviving and attending school.

"At the same time more children with less severe difficulties are being successfully educated in mainstream schools.

"Nationally, moderate learning difficulties schools are tending to have fewer young children and those they do have tend to have more complex difficulties.

"Similarly schools for children with physical disabilities are finding that the younger children have more severe difficulties and that many of those with purely physical problems are now attending mainstream schools.

"As numbers of children attending individual special schools falls then the cost per child increases."

The council's education and training committee will discuss the proposals on Tuesday.

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