THE headmaster of a school, which boasts the highest GCSE pass rate in the county, warns that the quality of education will deteriorate if current government underfunding continues.

And Mr John Challoner, headmaster of St Bede's RC High School, Blackburn, urged parents at the school's presentation night in King George's Hall to write to councillors and MPs about the impact the proposed cuts of 3 to 8 per cent will have on their children.

St Bede's GCSE pass rates were the highest in the school's history last year with 50.3 percent achieving five or more A-C's, scoring the highest pass rate in the district and 10 per cent above the county average.

Mr Challoner said that if the cuts went ahead the 'quality of education would deteriorate', class sizes would increase, less would be spent on books and equipment and staff numbers may be cut.

He said: "The government need to understand clearly the stark financial reality facing schools now. Unless they are made aware by parents that you are not prepared to tolerate the current underfunding of state education then the immediate future for increased funding is apparently bleak.

He added: "All that St Bede's has worked for in the past will be undermined to the detriment of current and future pupils.

"If education in Blackburn is apparently not worth investing in then all the talk from politicians about competing with our European neighbours is simply that, all talk."

A special trophy was presented to Avril Ainsworth in recognition of her many sporting achievements. The trophy was presented in the memory of former Head of PE Ted Cooper who died on New Year's Eve after losing a five-year battle against Motor Neurone Disease.

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