A PRIMARY school in Bolton may be closing.

And, despite the fact that a report said that Longsight Primary School in Harwood "failed to provide an acceptable standard of education", parents and local councillors have vowed to fight the plan.

Education is important, everyone accepts that, particularly in a modern world where standards seem to be dropping year after year.

But the Local Education Authority plan will get the school out of "special measures" quickly after the staff were given two years to improve standards.

Then, the LEA states that school figures are too low. There should be 140 pupils, but there are only 118.

The closure will also mean redundancy for all staff as the school will be taken over, possibly by the nearby Christ's Church CE.

Education IS important, there is no denying that. But such a mish-mash of reasoning has aroused parents' suspicions.

Those against the closure say that there is a good atmosphere at the school; they say that staff have not been given time to implement changes; they say that the plan might mean children moving from site to site and mobile classrooms being brought in.

There is even the thought that some parents may not wish their children to be taught in a church school.

A period of consultation on the plan has now begun. Those against promise to fight it all the way.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, we ask that proper consideration is given to all the pros and cons and we trust that at the end of it all the children can get back to the kind of education they need. Markets move MARKETS at Horwich, Westhoughton and Farnworth have been saved from closure.

Despite a down-turn in trade, a number of empty stalls and a need for a revamp, councillors have agreed that closure is not an option -- they are instead looking at other ideas.

We know that, in the end, market forces (no pun intended) have to rule, but markets are such an integral part of Northern life that we would hate to see them disappear.

Everyone shops at superstores these days. But if we all make an effort to call in at our local market regularly, we could be doing something to help.