SCHOOLS in the region are experiencing one of the country's highest rates of class size growth.

Figures to be released this week are expected to reveal that class sizes in secondary schools are at their highest for ten years in many areas.

Among the worst affected of 62 local education authorities (LEAs) surveyed is Stockton, on Teesside, where class size has risen from 22.2 pupils to 22.7 per class in the past decade.

Outside London, only two areas performed worse than the Teesside LEA.

Stockton Borough Council's cabinet member for education, Councillor Alex Cunningham, defended its performance, and claimed class size was not detrimental to education standards.

He said: "I have not seen these figures, but the Stockton authority is always pleased to be working with governors and teachers in our secondary sector to get the best results.

"While we are all aware that the smaller the class, the better, the schools in the authority are still achieving very good results."

Coun Cunningham said that Stockton was already a year ahead of the Government's plans for reducing class sizes for primary pupils.

He said: "Maybe the time has arrived to look closely at the secondary sector, but we have already achieved very positive things in the authority."

Since 1997, the Government has concentrated on its manifesto pledge to reduce infant class sizes, with no youngsters expected to be in a class of more than 30 by September.

However, it has been suggested that this has helped pushed class size problems into secondary schools.

Nationally, between 1997 and 2000, the number of secondary school pupils in classes of more than 30 grew from 245,420 to 310,521. In 1990, there was one teacher for every 15.4 secondary school pupils. Last year, the average was 17.2.

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers said: "Class size problems in secondary schools are getting worse."

Large classes have, in the past, been blamed for poor exam results, and a lack of pupil concentration and motivation.