KENT Messenger Group political correspondent Paul Francis has been praised by judges in a national competition for a series of articles on education issues in the county.

Mr Francis was named as a runner-up in the Edexcel Educational Journalism Award 2002 for a portfolio of work about the admissions problems facing thousands of parents applying for places at the county's secondary schools last year.

The award went to the BBC's chief education correspondent Mike Baker. The competition was open to all UK journalists writing or broadcasting about education.

Articles written by Mr Francis focused on the difficulties caused when the admissions process in Kent became embroiled in a protracted dispute over the circumstances in which children should be allowed to take the 11-plus. They also brought to the attention of readers the work of the Schools Adjudicator, a Government quango which determines disputes over admissions policies.

In their comments, the judges said: "Paul projected a local story about admissions to secondary schools to a national level. We were very impressed."

The Edexcel/Linney Group prize was presented by the Duke of Kent at a ceremony in London.

In January Mr Francis won the Shepherd Neame Kent Journalist of The Year award.