Some primary schools in Coventry are under threat of closure because of a fall in the birth rate.

There are currently 3,184 unfilled places in infants’ schools and education officers estimate this will rise to 5,836 by January 2004.

Councillor George Duggins, co-ordinator of the Education and Cultural Affairs Policy Co-ordination Committee, said:

"The estimated figures for the year 2004 amount to 20 per cent of the places available in our primary schools. This means we are putting money into buildings rather than into children.

"I believe that is wrong. There will always be arguments about school places, but at the end of the day we should be putting money into children, not spaces."

The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee discussed the Coventry Draft School Organisation Plan at its last meeting but no action was decided.

Councillor Duggins said:

"Under the terms of the Standards and Framework Act 1998 all local authorities have to produce a five year plan to put before their school organising committees and our plan has identified a number of surplus places.

"The surplus is 20 per cent of the school places and could lead to school closures, but no package of closures has been devised and no decisions have been taken. The controlling Labour group on the City Council has made it clear to me that it expects surplus places to be dealt with.

"But I believe 20 per cent is too high a figure and I will be looking to reduce it to 10 per cent."

When Coventry has finalised its plan it will go before the school organisation committee for ratification. The committee will be made up of representatives from the education authority, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England, school governors and technical colleges.

"If there is no consensus from that committee then, under new procedures announced by the government, the matter will be decided by an adjudicator," said Councillor Duggins. "We do not know who that will be because the adjudicator has not been appointed yet."