SECONDARY school pupils in the region will be the next to benefit from brain-boosting pills.

Capsules containing a mixture of fish oil and evening primrose oil have already helped under-achieving junior school children in County Durham.

Now, they are to be given to teenagers in a bid to improve classroom concentration.

At the same time, Dr Madelaine Portwood, the educational psychologist masterminding the trial, revealed that the Durham experiment is to be replicated in Sweden and Australia, where similar trials involving Eye.q capsules are due to start shortly.

Dr Portwood was impressed at the results of last year's trial involving 123 pupils as 12 Durham junior schools.

The trial showed that a significant number of pupils could improve their concentration, behaviour and performance in the classroom by taking a few Eye.q capsules every day.

But Dr Portwood has even higher hopes from the trial involving 20 teenage pupils at Greenfield School Community and Arts College, at Newton Aycliffe.

"If this is effective in the secondary environment it could be the breakthrough for many disaffected teenagers we have been looking for," she said.

"We have shown that it is effective in primary schools but what we need to see is whether we can do anything to reverse the damage caused by years of disaffection and low self-esteem."

Dr Portwood is convinced that brain-stimulating dietary supplements, rich in what are known as long-chain fatty acids, could be far more effective than controversial medication such as Ritalin.

The company which makes Eye.q capsules, Equazen, is also supporting the secondary school trial.

"The youngsters are all bright kids who are under-achieving because of their problems with concentration in the classroom," said Dr Portwood, who has won the support of the parents.

John Clare, deputy headteacher at Greenfield School, said: "The school is very excited at this opportunity to take part in this trial. We hope that we find that children are helped by it. The staff are very keen to do it. After all, these are natural substances and there is nothing to lose."

If any of the children respond well to the capsules Mr Clare said the implications for education would be very significant.

"Wouldn't it be a lovely world if the problem of special needs children disappeared by giving them a tablet," he added.