LONDON, (Reuters):
EDUCATION SECRETARY Ruth Kelly unveiled plans to reform English schools yesterday and put parents' wishes at the heart of the system, despite criticism from teaching unions who say it will lead to chaos.
Under the new proposals, secondary schools will be independent of local authorities and parents will be given more choice about which school they send their children to and how the schools are run.
"We have an education system that has overcome more than half a century of under performance," Kelly told the House of Commons.
"With courage to reform further, placing the parent and the pupil right at the heart of the system, we can now make our schools truly world class."
Prime Minister Tony Blair has described the bill as a "pivotal moment" for his final government.
The plans come in the seventh education bill introduced under Blair, who famously declared when he came to power in 1997 that his priority would be "education, education, education".
Under the proposals, schools would have more powers to set their own selection, curriculum and teaching methods while local education authorities would have a lesser, strategic role.
Kelly said the proposals would give parents "real power to drive change".
But the proposals were immediately criticised by the country's largest teaching union, who said they would suit the "pushy middle classes" while ignoring children from poorer areas.
Under the plans, popular or successful schools would be encouraged to expand to take in more pupils and failing schools would be given a year to improve or close.
