THE disclosure today that Blackburn and Darwen has seven failing schools will concern every parent.

So, too, will the additional revelation by the borough's new education chief, Mark Pattison, that many other schools need to improve their standards.

But if the new authority stops short of "naming and shaming" - though many would say that parents have a right to know what calibre of education their children are receiving - then, at least, it is encouraging that the problems are recognised and are being grasped.

For, as Blackburn and Darwen embarks on independence and its education service inherits what is evidently a sizeable legacy of below-standard schools, an action plan has already been drafted to combat the shortcomings. These include smaller class sizes in junior schools, closer monitoring of teachers' performance and more involvement of parents.

It may be that some of these measures - that of class sizes, in particular - will involve difficulties over resourcing.

But even that aspect seems to be being addressed at the outset as Mr Pattison reveals the new education authority's intention to seek help from a new government scheme designed for areas with special problems and needs.

That said, with the problems identified and plans in place to redress them, what parents will quite rightly expect from the new education service is swift evidence that improvement has taken place.

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