EDUCATION chiefs in County Durham are to get £900,000 in government cash to create the classrooms of the future.

The county's education authority submitted a bid to the Department for Education and Employment to build the high-tech "learning zones". The projects will feature arts and media elements.

Designers at County Hall are sifting through possible blueprints for two new classrooms.

It has yet to be decided which schools will receive the classrooms.

A council spokesman said: "These will be futuristic buildings, which will house futuristic equipment, and be home to new teaching techniques and technologies.

"We have got to sit down and ask in detail what we are going to do and where."

Durham was one of 12 local authorities in England to share a £10m investment under the Classroom of the Future scheme announced by Schools Minister Jacqui Smith.

She said: "We need to look at new ways of helping children to achieve more through developing technologies and creating learning environments that are truly stimulating.

"Some excellent ideas have been put forward to improve the delivery of education as we move into the 21st Century.

"These pilots will be instrumental in shaping our classrooms of the future."