HEADTEACHERS warned yesterday that the Government's bid to create 1,000 specialist college comprehensives would create a two-tier system.

The Secondary Heads Association demanded a radical overhaul of the policy, under which comprehensives receive thousands of pounds in recognition of their expertise in specialist subjects.

Some local education authorities will be banned from applying, but the association has urged Education Secretary David Blunkett to extend the scheme to all secondary schools in England.

The North-East has a number of specialist colleges, including Haughton Community School Arts Centre and Carmel RC Technology College, in Darlington, and Durham Gilesgate Sports College.

In a letter to Mr Blunkett, association general secretary John Dunford said funding for each specialist college should be halved so the number created could be doubled.

He said: "We believe that all secondary schools should, over time, be able to gain specialist college status."

However, the Department for Education and Employment said that 1,000 schools was just the target for 2003/4, and the ban on some authorities was a temporary measure to balance the spread of colleges.

A spokesman said: "Part of the reason we want even distribution is because specialist colleges share their resources with surrounding schools, and that's why it's important we don't get an over-concentration in some local authority areas."