MORE details have been announced of a massive programme which will see all secondary school buildings in Bolton improved.

Education bosses have announced that 35 per cent of the town's 16 high schools will be rebuilt and a further 55 per cent will be refurbished.

Under the programme, the remaining 10 per cent of schools will be in line for minor refurbishment and repairs. Council education chiefs have now applied for enough Government money to pay for their vision to become a reality.

They will find out in the spring the outcome of their bid.

Cllr Linda Thomas, Executive Member for Education, said the plans are very much at the preliminary stages and a lot of the detail has yet to be ironed out.

"We've got a group of people working on the strategy. So far they have met about three times. work is going on behind the scenes."

She said Hayward School in Bolton and George Tomlinson school in Farnworth will probably be top priorities for building work.

Bolton Council education chiefs have submitted an application for part of the £5.1 billion the Government has allocated towards investment in school buildings across the country.

The Government is aiming to ensure that every part of secondary education has up to date facilities through a school building project that will take place nationally within 10 to 15 years, from 2005-06.

Bolton's education bosses will be told by March 2004 if the town will be given the money.

The DfES will prioritise geographical areas according to relative educational and social need, as measured by pupils' GCSE attainment and eligibility for free school meals and the financial requirements of schools.

In Bolton the percentage of 16 year olds gaining five A* - C passes at GCSE is below the national average. The number of secondary school pupils is expected to fall by almost 1,000 over the next decade.

Education bosses also say racial segregation and lack of education choices for 14 year-olds are among the key issues facing the town.

An expression of interest in the funding has been submitted to the Government by Bolton's education bosses.