IN the future there will be a machine that plants knowledge in your brain so you know the information but you don't have to have it explained to you.

The school will have a virtual reality simulator where you can go into the past, so instead of just reading about Vikings you will be able to go into a room and actually feel like a Viking and do what Vikings did.

And all the desks will have computers on them to be used for all subjects.

Those are the views of local youngsters who were asked what they thought school would be like in the 21st century.

Jack Braham, 11, and Chris Parker, 10, of Greatwood Community Primary School, believed that new technology would rid them of textbooks and the traditional three Rs.

As the primary school children received their millennium medals from Mayor Richard Colley on behalf of Skipton Town Council, staff and children reflected on the previous year and could only imagine what the new millennium would bring.

The teachers of the local primary and secondary schools spoke with pride about the last school year but looked forward to the next century with more trepidation than their enthusiastic and imaginative pupils.

Perhaps the hopes of the pupils at Greatwood for a new age school stem from their headmaster's view that new technology will play a part in the future of education.

John Collings, headmaster, believes that the 21st century will probably bring easy access to information through computer assisted learning and world wide communication.

But before his cyber pupils, who thought they could replace teachers with robots, get too excited, Mr Collings has placed the biggest emphasis on the need for people.

"For me, whilst I will welcome any positive developments of any sort related to technology, new research and so on, the issue still revolves around people and communities. People matter. Bringing people into the process, helping them to understand the process, involving them in the process remain as priorities for me. What about schools being run as communities?"

A similar message was conveyed from Ings Community Primary School which over the past year has begun to live up to its new name. There is now a range of learning activities for all ages including adults taking place on the school site.

"The support that parents give to their own child's learning is fundamental to the child's success. We look forward to the future at Ings School where the partnership between home and school is going to provide many success stories," said headmistress Helen Sturges.

On a more fundamental note staff at St Stephen's School are keeping their fingers crossed for a new school building to take them into the next century. After 150 years the present building is no longer suitable for the modern day teaching.

The secondary schools have had more successes this year than is possible to mention - none more notable than Aireville School being listed as one of the 100 most improved schools in the country.

Headmaster David Croll also emphasised the new opportunities that the school offered in terms of outdoor pursuits, including rock climbing, canoeing, caving and camping which had become part of the school's extra curricular programme.

He singled out for praise the year nine basketball team which won the Harrogate and Craven League and the school band which he said just kept going from strength to strength.

"We look forward to the new millennium, and planning our new accommodation which is needed for the growing number of pupils. We will work hard to convince the local authority that although the present plans are welcome they do not yet meet the needs of our pupils. We anticipate an even larger intake in September.

"As the numbers increase, we will continue to work with parents and the local community to ensure that Aireville is recognised for providing a successful, enjoyable and worthwhile education for pupils of all abilities," said Mr Croll

Skipton's two grammar schools this year weathered the attack on selective education. The Labour Government introduced a ballot scheme that could vote grammar schools out of existence. It remained very low key in this area and the schools remain oversubscribed with pupils trying to get in.

Both were consistent in achieving high quality exams results, with Ermysted's ranked 12th in the country for its A-level results.

Headmistress of Skipton Girls' High School, Diana Chambers, said she was pleased with the school's excellent Ofsted report and its record exam results. She singled out Jenny Robertson as one of the school's notable successes. She had her song selected for the Voices of Promise CD and will perform it in the New Year in the Millennium Dome. "I am delighted to finish the millennium with a big bang."

As for the future Mrs Chambers hopes the school can continue to improve opportunities for the young people. She added that there were going to be great changes for post 16 year olds and great changes in terms of the appreciation of staff.

At Ermysted's School deputy head Ian Douglass is hoping that the new century will bring a period of stability for education "rather than rocking and reeling from initiatives which come at us like a flurry of prize fighter's punches."

But like teachers in the primary schools he returned to speak of the threats and opportunities new age technology will bring to education in the future. "I hope that despite the wondrous possibilities in the realm of IT, we shall not all disappear into cyber space with the unique personalities of the many excellent teachers replaced by a big screen global icon possessed of perfect knowledge."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.