HIGH-TECH classrooms could be developed in Teesside schools as part of a national technology initiative.

The Lifelong Learning and Leisure Advisory Panel of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss creating the classrooms of the future.

Government ministers are hoping to set up a pilot project in ten local education authorities to create classrooms to be used both by pupils and the wider communities.

Among facilities available in the classrooms will be video links with schools worldwide to allow discussions between pupils, and touch-screen teaching through computers.

In a report, the director of education, Patrick Scott, outlined a possible plan to secure £1m for classrooms in Redcar and Cleveland.

He suggested classrooms could be built at schools in Brotton, Skelton and Loftus, together with a primary classroom at Badger Hill Primary.

The classrooms would have links to a joint information database held by all the schools.

Mr Scott also suggested a classroom could be built at Nunthorpe Community School, where three mobile classrooms could be replaced by a single room, which would have links to the Excellence in City Centre at Eston.

As well as making day-to-day learning more innovative for children, the classrooms would be made available for the wider community.

A Government spokesman said: "Children benefit from their parents becoming invol-ved in the life of their school.

"Parents benefit from access to learning opportunities as well and from the support functions that a school can provide.

"Education is becoming life-long. Schools will need to respond to the educational needs of everyone, not just the young, and will be a force for the development of the community and social inclusion."

The councils chosen to run the pilot schemes will be encouraged to use sustainable resources, such as solar power and wind turbines, to create the new buildings, so that even the construction of the classrooms will be revolutionary.

A decision on whether or not Redcar and Cleveland will bid to join the pilot scheme will be made on Wednesday. Applications have to be submitted by the end of August