The National Literacy Strategy - which emphasises the use of a daily "literacy hour" and teaching methods such as phonics - began being implemented in primary schools across England last September.

It is part of the government's drive to ensure that 80% of 11-year-olds reach the required standards in English by the year 2002.

Although participation in the strategy is voluntary, the Education Secretary, David Blunkett, has warned that he will take of dim view of those schools that fail to take part.

And now the head of the government's School Standards and Effectiveness Unit, Professor Michael Barber, is asking local education authorities to report on those schools which are not sending teachers for training in how to implement the strategy.

David Hart: accusing government of "Big Brother" methods

In a letter to every chief education officer in England, he says that the minority of heads who were refusing to send staff on training courses are "potentially damaging their career prospects".

Professor Barber writes: "Of course, full implementation (of the strategy) is not compulsory, particularly where schools are demonstrably highly successful in literacy teaching and pupil achievement.

"However, the strategy is firmly based on the assumption that it provides an entitlement to all primary teachers to know, understand and be able to use the proven practice set out in the training materials.

"For this reason we believe it is essential that ALL teachers are trained in the National Literacy Strategy approach to the teaching of literacy."

The General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, David Hart, said the letter betrayed the government's panic over meeting its target for improving the reading and writing of 11-year-olds.

"There is a great danger that inviting local education authorities to behave in this Big Brother fashion will create antagonism in their relations with schools," said Mr Hart.

"This is clearly an attempt to force every school to use the literacy strategy, whether it is already teaching its children to read effectively or not."