PRIME Minister Tony Blair warned about the dangers of being left behind by rapidly changing technology during a visit to County Durham yesterday.

The Sedgefield MP dropped in at Darlington's Alderman Leach Junior School to launch a new package of electronic teaching materials developed for use in the region's schools.

Software, much of which is Internet based, has been developed by the Northern Grid for Learning, a consortium of 12 North-East Local Education Authorities, which aims to boost numeracy and literacy levels in schools.

Mr Blair said: "Unless we train our children and adults to be familiar with the Internet and other technology we will get left behind very quickly.

"In the future, people will have very little chance of getting jobs and having a high quality of life without it."

Mr Blair answered questions from youngsters at Ferryhill Comprehensive School, who were producing their own newspaper.

He joked that "computers were not invented" when he was at school.

Later, following visits to the Senstronics and Filtronic hi-tech factories in Newton Aycliffe, the PM headed to Ferryhill to unveil a Millennium celebration sundial.

The sundial, standing outside the town council offices, was designed by youngsters from local schools.

Jamie Corrigan, executive officer of Ferryhill Town Council, said: "It is important that people here get to see their local MP and it was nice that he was very keen to greet them."

Mr Blair also opened a £1.2m community arts centre, at Greenfield School Community and Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe.

He ended his day with a trip to Bishop Middleham and saw how the site of a waste tip had been transformed into a green play area with changing facilities, a project driven by the parish council.

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