A cash injection of £430 million to boost national standards of achievement among ethnic pupils has been welcomed in Bradford.

The money will enable schools to employ more teachers and teaching assistants to work with their local communities as well as supporting a raft of measures designed to help pupils whose first language is not English.

John Edwards, head teacher of Lidget Green Middle School, which has many pupils who could benefit from the funding, said he was pleased with the Government's announcement.

"From everything I have heard this would seem to be very good news. It will target help at pupils whose first language is not English, and that is very promising."

The announcement marks the transfer for responsibility for targeting help at ethnic minorities from the Home Office to the Department for Education and Employment.

Previously the Home Office provided Section 11 funding to pay for community development workers in schools and English language teachers, both vital resources in many Bradford schools.

However, it was announced that this money would cease in April 1999 and the DFEE would take responsibility for its provision.

The new pot of cash will be more flexible and support the National Literacy Strategy, enabling teachers to give extra support to children whose first language is not English.

Schools will be given more responsibility for recruiting and managing staff teaching ethnic minority students. And local education authorities will be required to monitor the achievement of ethnic minority pupils, and set targets for their improvement.

Bruce Berry, headteacher of Belle Vue Boys School, where 98 per cent of pupils are drawn from an Asian background, said it was good news that funding would be available to help pupils at schools like his own.

He hoped the money would go directly into schools so they could decide for themselves where best to spend it.

Bradford's Director of Education, Diana Cavanagh, welcomed the Government's announcement and the fact schools will have a greater say in how it is spent. However, the authority was still awaiting the final details of how this money would be allocated.

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