A REVIEW of primary education is to be carried out in Darlington, at the request of the director of education.

Geoff Pennington has written to the chairman of the council's lifelong learning scrutiny committee, Coun Cyndi Hughes, asking if the committee will form the review group.

It would look at a variety of aspects of primary schools, including falling rolls and surplus places within the primary sector and admission arrangements and report back in March.

In a letter to the committee chairman, Mr Pennington said: "The purpose of the review is to ensure that schools, governors, parents and the wider community are aware of the challenges facing the primary sector, have had an opportunity to input views on these and can understand the proposals for action that may follow the review."

He added: "This is a very major piece of work that will influence the future provision of education in the borough."

If the lifelong education scrutiny committee agrees to form a review group, it would be made up of three of its members, as well as a governor and teacher representatives and supplemented with other members of the committee.

Members will decide whether or not to form a group at the next meeting on Monday.