CHURCH leaders have voiced concerns about the large amount of cash they need to find to cut class sizes for younger pupils.

Religious leaders are worried about having to build extra classrooms at church schools.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the Diocese Synod in Accrington.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, Bishop of Burnley the Rt Rev Martyn Jarrett and Bishop of Lancaster Stephen Pedley were all at the meeting.

The government's programme of cutting classes for five to seven-year-olds to a maximum of 30 has led to widespread criticism in education circles.

Blackburn Diocese claims to have a larger number of schools than any diocese in the country.

A diocese spokesman said: "We have become aware of problems faced by all schools, not just religious schools, in view of the reduction in class sizes.

"While we welcome the idea, it is going to have financial implications for everyone involved in providing new premises.

"We have the largest concentration of church supported education in the country in this Diocese and primary schools form a large part of that."

He added the Church could be forced to pay "rather large amounts of money" to fund extensions.

Councillors in Hyndburn are due to discuss the latest plan for a school extension - a bigger classroom at St Oswald's CE primary school, Mount St James, Knuzden - at tomorrow's development services meeting.

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