SCHOOLCHILDREN in the Ilkley area face being educated in 'shanty towns' as the building programme for the £171 million reorganisation descends into chaos, it has been claimed.

Twice as many children in the

district will be taught in temporary classrooms than was at first

estimated under the transition from a three to a two-tier education system.

"Disruption and inevitable chaos will be the effect on Bradford schools at the transitional phase. All schools will experience problems through either split sites or shanty town developments of temporary classrooms," said Ilkley district and parish councillor Anne Hawkesworth.

In Addingham, where pupils were due to move to a new primary school at the site of the present middle school, the transfer has been put on hold.

At a meeting this week it was announced that children will remain on the first school site until building work has begun at the middle school in Bolton Road.

One, possibly two, mobile classrooms will be installed at the first school to house the extra pupils.

This is in addition to four temporary buildings already in use at the site.

Head teacher Jane Drake was today meeting an architect to decide where the extra buildings will go.

Mrs Drake told the Gazette: "The local education authority originally proposed that we operate a split school but this would have meant moving the children between the two sites.

"By operating on the one site we can make sure disruption is kept to a minimum."

Governor Peter Sheasby said: "It's better to have the children away from the building work. We made it known to the authority that

accepting the extra mobile classroom was not to be at the expense of the building work. We will be

pushing for work at the middle school to be done as soon as possible."

The chairman of governors at Ashlands Primary School in Leeds Road, Ilkley, said he was disappointed that the new building work needed had not gone ahead.

He said it had been originally scheduled to begin at Christmas, but now there was no prospect of any work starting before September, which meant builders missing the chance of uninterrupted working during the six weeks holidays when the children were not around.

All Saints Primary School is due to relocate to a new site on Skipton Road but there has been no indication when construction work will even begin.

Coun Hawkesworth (Cons) said she had been told by Bradford Council that the present school site, on Leeds Road, was to be put on the market next year.

"They will be selling the building around the children's ears," said Coun Hawkesworth.

Several companies have tendered for the huge task of carrying out all the building work required across the district. The name of the successful bidder is due to be announced tomorrow.

Bradford education boss Councillor Susanne Rooney (Lab - Eccleshill) said: "We are all working together to ensure that disruption for pupils is kept to a minimum. The co-operation given by heads and their teachers has been excellent and is much appreciated.

"The reorganisation is a huge operation but it is the key to raising educational standards for our pupils. It involves the biggest building programme ever undertaken by any local authority in the country but we are on track to have transitional arrangements in place by September."

The detailed transitional arrangements were announced by Bradford Council showing that the number of temporary classrooms needed had risen from the original estimate of 70 to 155.

Coun Hawkesworth said: "It is alright saying everything will be better eventually or it will be alright on the night: my concerns are not only for future children's education, but also those being educated throughout the process. It seems inevitable that their chances will be reduced."

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