Schools earmarked for closure in the most radical shake-up of the education system in Bradford for 30 years will be named in the last week of the Easter term.

Schools will learn their fate in an intense two weeks starting from March 24 when Bradford Council will decide how schools will be run in the future.

Education committee chairman Jim Flood announced at a meeting last night that the ruling Labour group had decided to hold a full council meeting on March 24 to make that decision.

The proposals before them will be to either slim down the present system of schools or change to primary and secondary schools, which would mean the end of middle schools.

Once that decision is made another fortnight will elapse before the education committee agrees which schools should close.

However, schools will be told a week in advance which ones are earmarked for the axe.

Liberal Democrat councillor David Ward severely criticised the process.

"How can councillors make a decision on March 24 when we don't realise the implications of those decisions?" he said.

"We can't possibly make a decision unless we have the full costings of the proposed changes on that date and we won't know them until we know which schools are going to close two weeks later."

Tory councillor Dale Smith added: "The whole system is in danger of being deceived."

But Coun Flood defended the integrity of the process.

"The officers need to assure us that whichever model we choose on March 24 it is feasible on the ground," he said.

"We won't be making a decision blindly," he added.

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