Campaigners fighting plans to axe the jobs of language teachers in Bradford will present a petition signed by thousands of people at City Hall on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 people have already signed the petition and protesters were in Bradford city centre today to drum up support

And they will be at Cannon Street Market tomorrow to get names added to their petitions.

The forms will also be distributed in mosques.

Crowds of placard-carrying objectors plan to turn up in Centenary Square before the Council meeting and schoolchildren may join in.

The Council wants to save £1.2 million by cutting staff for children with special language needs. The jobs are part funded by a Government scheme to boost projects which help ethnic minorities.

Parents, headteachers and unions have condemned the move, saying it would have a devastating effect on Asian children who start school with little or no English.

The cuts will mean the loss of 20 teachers and 20 nursery nurses.

Around £250,000 will be cut in the teaching of languages such as Urdu bringing the number of teachers down from 28 two years ago to 11.

Special schools will also be hit with the hit of bi-lingual home liaison officers.

Bradford Racial Equality Council says ethnic communities regard it as a regressive move by the Local Education Authority.

But the Council says the cuts are necessary to cover a £1.2 million overspend in the budget for special need children.

Jane Rendle, of Bradford NUT, said: "Feelings are very high in some areas. It seems like an easy option in bureaucratic terms."

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