SCHOOLS in Kent are expected to benefit to the tune of an additional £10million as a result of the huge injection of cash for education announced by the Government.

The spending bonanza will see the county’s 103 secondary schools receive budget increases which, on average, will be worth about £50,000 more. Kent’s 475 primary schools stand to gain about £10,000 each.

The additional cash is to go directly to schools and for some, the sums may be even higher if they qualify for more money under proposals to give £125,000 to 1,400 secondary schools in poorer, deprived areas.

The news of the investment – representing a six per cent increase in education spending over the next three years - was broadly welcomed by county education chiefs. However, they warned any increases could be neutralised by separate changes to the formula used to allocate money to councils. Those were outlined last week.

And there was scepticism among head teachers at plans to allow for “super heads” to be allowed to take charge of struggling schools in their area.

Cllr Paul Carter (Con), Kent’s cabinet member for education, said he was particularly pleased by the additional cash for schools maintenance and building new facilities.

Capital investment will rise to £7 billion a year by 2005-06, of which £1.2 billion will be through the private finance initiative. In 1997-98, the figure was £1billion.

Cllr Carter said: “I hope that Kent will get its fair share when this money is distributed. We do need this level of expenditure as we have a significant backlog of repairs." But he warned that some of the increases could be wiped out by the need by schools to meet higher wage costs.

Kent MP and shadow Conservative education secretary Damian Green poured scorn on plans for head teachers to become “chief executives” of other schools. He said it would lead to more tiers of managers and be opposed by parents with children at more successful schools.

He said: “The best heads are those that are in daily touch with their schools so to take them out and allow them to take over others seems half-baked. The danger is that education will become like the health service, where you have tier upon tier of extra managers.

Kent head Eric Spear, the president of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) said: “The idea of schools sharing good practice is a good one but I am not so sure about schools taking over others. Most heads have enough on their plates without taking over neighbouring schools.”

The Government will announce in November full details of next year’s spending plans and which of the 300 secondary schools will be among so-called “advanced specialist schools.”