BOLTON bosses are being urged to sponsor local children to help them with their reading and writing. One thousand local firms will be asked to support the National Year of Reading by paying for a child to go to special English classes over the summer holidays. For every £250 donated, an 11-year-old child who is struggling in class will get three weeks intensive literacy coaching at their local secondary school.

Education chiefs hope it will help them cut the number of Bolton children who cannot read properly for their age from one in three to one in five by the year 2002.

The lessons will be targeted at 11-year-old primary school leavers who are below standard for their age in literacy tests to be taken this May.

Knuckle down

And education chiefs believe the classes could make a vital difference to how well those children settle into secondary school and knuckle down to their lessons.

Deputy Director of Education Terry Piggott explained: "Literacy is the key to so much more and pupils need good literacy skills to access the secondary curriculum.

"Also, there is evidence that children of all abilities fall back during the summer holidays, particularly if they do not read at home.

"This means they get rusty just at the time when they need to be at their best."

Last year summer literacy classes proved a success at Hayward and Withins schools and this year the Government has given Bolton cash to expand the scheme to eight local secondary schools.

The funding will cover 240 children but education chiefs believe many more could be slotted in without too much extra expense once the setting up costs have been paid for.

They hit on the idea of asking local businesses because several supported last year's scheme and next week letters will go out to 1000 Bolton companies asking them for cash or help in kind, such as food for school dinners.

National Year of Reading Co-ordinator Julie Spencer tells the bosses: " Please consider this request carefully.

"The Goal of the National Year of Reading is to share the responsibility for promoting reading and creating a literate society for the future."

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