CLASS sizes are coming down for Bury's infant children thanks to a £1 million a year cash boost.

Local education chiefs say the extra cash will mean that only five per cent of infant-age will be in classes of more than 30 in 1999. The figure is currently 56 per cent.

Education secretary Mr David Blunkett announced the new funding in the Commons yesterday.

"Bury will be employing 40 extra teachers at a cost of £584,000, which means taking 3,000 pupils out of larger classes," said the secretary of state.

The move was greeted with jubilation by education chiefs in the borough.

"The money we have received is just for seven months of the financial year, and therefore it would seem our full bid of £1 million has been approved," said Coun David Ryder, Bury's chairman of education.

"It is very exciting news for schools in Bury, and I am sure it will help enormously to avoid threatened teacher redundancies."

Both BBC Radio 4's flagship current affairs show the Today programme reported from St Margaret's CE Primary in Prestwich and ITN filmed at St Paul's CE Primary in Bury this week to report on the announcement.

The extra money will pay for 40 teachers to work in infant departments around the borough.

Schools will use extra space such as resource areas and libraries to allow small group teaching, taking children out of classes and leaving classes with fewer than 30 pupils. "Bury has led the way recently in producing high quality educational standards with very limited resources," said Coun Ryder. "The Government have recognised this and the latest extra funding will help to ensure that our youngsters continue to receive the top-class schooling they deserve."

Both the borough's MPS said the announcement showed that Labour was keeping its election promises.

"On his recent visit to Bury schools standards minister Stephen Byers stated that our local educational achievements had been in spite of the previous Government's lack of financial support," said Mr David Chaytor, MP for Bury North.

"This announcement demonstrates he kept his word when he promised the new Labour government would match high standards with adequate resources."

His Bury South counterpart Mr Ivan Lewis said: "This extra money will support Bury's teachers, parents and governors in their crusade for educational excellence."

The money for the extra staff has come from the discontinued assisted places scheme, which helped poorer parents pay fees at independent schools.

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