ALARMING figures about the decline in reading standards in Bolton's schools have been revealed.

There has been a dramatic fall in the number of seven-year-olds who achieved an expected reading level.

In 1993, 16.54 pc of those tested came up to standard. This compares with 8.1pc in 1985.

There has also been a huge rise in the number of children expelled from school.

There were 93 in 1994-95, compared with just five in 1989-90.

These were some of the reasons put to education and arts committee councillors for the rise in Bolton's special educational needs budget.

But Mr Tom Hanley, who represents Bolton Trades Council, hit out at plans to cut the number of statements.

He said: "These figures are saying that one in six of this age group are illiterate.

"Surely this is an important special educational need."

He accused education officers of tackling the problem "the wrong way round" by cutting statements.

He said that more resources should be put into schools and then they should watch the number of statements drop.

The report also explained that the number of children with statements may have risen because schools with the pressure of "league tables" have been less willing to cope with these children unless there was the extra money.

There was also a greater recognition of problems such as dyslexia.

In addition, parents now had greater expectations that if their child was falling behind at school, they wanted something to be done about it.

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