EDUCATION bosses in Blackburn and Darwen are set to formulate a plan to reduce class sizes in the borough's primary schools.

The Government has recently proposed that no infant-age school pupils should be taught in a class of more than 30 pupils after September 2001.

And it wants to hear from councils how they propose to tackle the task by October.

Many of Blackburn and Darwen's primary schools have average class sizes above the recommended number.

Already this year £110,000-worth of Government money has been ploughed into Blackburn and Darwen Schools in a bid to reduce class size.

The schools to benefit were Intack; St Edward's RC, Darwen; St James's, Lower Darwen; St Peter's RC; St Stephen's CE; Wensley Fold CE; St Barnabas, Darwen, and Our Lady's RC.

Council bosses are waiting to hear if they have been successful in a further bid to win almost £450,000 of cash to reduce class sizes to build new classrooms at St Peter's CE School, Darwen; Lammack CP School, Darwen, and Avondale CP School, Darwen.

Members of Blackburn with Darwen Council's School Standards sub-committee will discuss the government proposals at a meeting at the town hall tomorrow.

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