Controversial proposals could see a new primary and secondary school replacing the borough's five special schools.

But parents at Epinay School in Clervaux Terrace, Jarrow, say their children have done well at the highly-praised school.

They are against plans to transfer special needs children with moderate learning difficulties into mainstream education.

Couple Lee Dixon and Adele Roach, from South Shields, whose daughter, Toni, 13, is a pupil at Epinay School, believe most parents will oppose the plans.

Mr Dixon said: "I think this will be a bad move. Toni used to be in mainstream education, then we were told she would do better in a special school.

"I was against Toni attending Epinay at first, but this has been the best thing which could have happened to her."

Ms Roach said: "Toni did not do well at all at mainstream primary school, but she loves Epinay and I think most parents would prefer their children to be educated at special schools.

"They receive specialist attention here and I believe most special needs children will not do as well if they are lumped together with others in a mainstream school."

Sonia Brown, from Hedworth, Jarrow, who has a 12-year-old child at Epinay, said: "I had to fight to get my child out of Boldon Comprehensive.

"I could hardly handle my child before Epinay, but this school has changed everything. I think this plan is a very bad idea."

Roy Grant, from South Shields, a carer for an 11-year-old girl, said: "I believe special schools like Epinay are the best educational environment."

Some parents also expressed fears that special needs children could be subject to bullying in mainstream classes.

If council plans go ahead, the borough's five special schools – Bamburgh, Margaret Sutton, Epinay, Oakleigh Gardens and Greenfields – would be axed, and replaced with two new schools, to be built in about 2012.

Dianne Moll, a parent-governor at Bamburgh School, in Norham Avenue, South Shields, blasted the proposals.

She said: "I'm very angry and I'm opposing these recommendations. Some of the children will not be able to flourish.

"None of the parents can understand it – it will disrupt the children's progression by moving them into mainstream classes."

But Helen Watson, South Tyneside's executive director for children and young people, said: "Educational provision for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in South Tyneside needs to change.

"We are one of the least inclusive of all English local authorities, in terms of the proportion of pupils educated in special schools. This means that we keep more of our children separate from their peers while we provide them with specialist support.

"We need to ensure that all of the borough's children who will need specialist support at some point in their 11 years of compulsory schooling get effective support, in the main through their local mainstream school."