THE revelation that one in three children in Bolton cannot read properly for their age is a shocking one.

Faced with this damning statistic we appreciate why, and applaud the efforts of, those in the education department who are urging Bolton bosses to sponsor local children to help them with their reading and writing.

Clearly these children need extra help and we hope local firms will respond favourably and sponsor the lessons which will be targeted at 11-year-old primary school leavers.

But the situation does throw up these questions for education authorities across the country who all face these shocking statistics. Have our children's literacy skills worsened over the years? Have these figures only just come to light? Has the education system failed children in the past? Are teaching standards high enough?

These questions need addressing and quickly. And if sponsored education is the answer to improving standards then so be it.

While we appreciate that there are children with learning difficulties who must receive extra help, it is hard to accept that one in three of all children is incapable of learning how to read.

We commented recently about how "super teachers" are being sought by some schools and questioned what the "ordinary" teachers were doing.

This latest initiative seems yet another move in taking children away from the teachers who are in situ.

While we wish the literacy scheme every success, we regret the circumstances which have made it a necessity.

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