EDUCATION chiefs are to launch a major review of empty desks which could spell closure for some Bolton primary schools.

Over the next six months every primary school in Bolton will come under the microscope to find out the best way of tackling thousands of spare places in classrooms across the town.

Education chiefs say a range of options will be looked at including school mergers and taking out spare capacity, but cannot discount the possibility of schools shutting down.

Deputy director of education Terry Piggott said: "That option cannot be ruled out, but at this stage the process is about coming up with local solutions to the removal of surplus places and placing a priority on making education better for the next century."

Falling birth rates will lead to a predicted 17per cent surplus places in local schools over the next few years but shifting population patterns within the Bolton boundary means the empty desks will not be spread evenly across the borough.

The decline is causing education chiefs a major headache because they cannot expand or improve popular schools or build new primaries in growth pockets while others within a two mile radius have spare places. Reducing infant class sizes will help the problem, but education chiefs say a major full scale review is needed to make sure that in the new Millennium children can go to a school their parents choose within a reasonable distance from their home.

A report points out that falling rolls can also hit standards by by diverting money from classrooms into maintaining empty spaces and make it difficult for heads to recruit or retain the best teachers.

But education chiefs say the problem cannot be solved simply by shutting a few half empty schools because they have to take into account a range of factors such as future trends, performance standards, the quality of buildings, cost and the views of parents. They are to launch a massive consultation exercise over the next few months and want schools, parents, other council departments and various interested parties to put their views forward.

"We are looking for local solutions because the answer will be different for each area," said Mr Piggott.

"We need to take into account local knowledge such as which schools children are likely to attend, which schools could merge on one site and ideas for alternative uses for buildings.

"But although we need thorough consultation, schools should not be subjected to a protracted period of uncertainty."

The report Local Solutions - Review of Primary School Places will go before the education and arts committee on Wednesday.

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