THOUSANDS of North-East pupils have been offered the prospect of new facilities to replace crumbling classrooms.

The Government has announced that Middlesbrough is among ten areas chosen for the second phase of a drive to modernise secondary school buildings.

The first phase of the Building Schools for the Future programme includes Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead and South Tyneside. County Durham will be in the third wave.

Middlesbrough Council's £100m bid could receive funding in 2006 to give all secondary pupils modern schools.

Its plans include a new school to serve the Hall Garth and King's Manor catchment area, a new Roman Catholic school for the town, a new building for Acklam Grange School and the development of Ormesby School.

Special schools for secondary pupils would also be rebuilt and either refurbished or located next to mainstream schools.

Paul Thompson, the council's executive member for education, said: "There is still a lot of hard work to do, but this is encouraging news and means we can now create detailed plans to convince the Department for Education and Skills of the need for these changes, which will bring excellence within the reach of every secondary pupil in Middlesbrough."

Middlesbrough's Mayor, Ray Mallon, said: "This is excellent news and will greatly assist our drive to raise standards in all our schools. We hope to create an environment in which learning and excellence are encouraged and all our young people can realise their potential."

Durham County Council had hoped to be in the first and second waves but its £125m bid, centred on the deprived ex-mining area in the east of the county, will be in the third wave, funded in the 2007-08 financial year.

The programme will centre on secondary schools at Seaham, Easington, Wellfield and Peterlee.

Neil Foster, the council cabinet member for lifelong learning, said: "Replacing or improving our school buildings will significantly help to raise educational standards which has always been our main priority," he said.

Schools Standards Minister and South Shields MP David Miliband said capital investment in schools was increasing dramatically.