Hundreds of Bradford pupils are set to jump on to the internet bandwagon at a new learning centre.

The facility will go on-line in September 2001 when the City Challenge College opens at its new campus at North Avenue, Manningham. It will be used by students from the college and seven secondary schools during and after school classes.

Belle Vue Boy's, Belle Vue Girls', Oakbank, St Bede's, St Joseph's and Wyke Manor secondary schools are being be given new computers which will let pupils log-on from a distance.

Primary schools will also be encouraged to use the equipment. The project will cost £1.2m and is the third such centre to be funded under Bradford's Excellence in Cities programme.

Head of the Challenge College, Gareth Dawkins said: "This is a massive boost for the college and the communities which we serve. The city learning centre will help us to create the kind of learning community which has always been our ambition."

John Fryett, head teacher at Wyke Manor, said he was excited by the news, which improved opportunities for students and offered them the chance to work with other schoools.

He said: "It will also give us the opportunity to build on our existing community links, allowing us to provide more computer courses as part of our adult education programme, and add to the work we already do with Bradford College and the local community centre."

The other two learning centres will open this autumn at Greenhead High School, Keighley and Carlton Bolling College, Bradford.

Bradford Council's assistant director of education, Phil Green said: "A third centre means that the council's plan for all the district's secondary schools to be linked into a cutting edge information and communications technology learning network is well on it's way to being implemented."

"The aim of schemes like this is to drive up standards by giving pupils access to the latest information and communications technology, encouraging them to explore things like the internet and use new and exciting ways of learning."

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