School shake-up raised in Commons

Campaigners want to keep the three-tier system

A North MP urged the Government to "come clean" on its position on middle schools as part of the ongoing controversy of an education shake-up.

Northumberland County Council is planning to move from a three-tier to two-tier education system.

There has been widespread opposition from parents who have held protests and handed in petitions.

Berwick Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith raised the issue in a debate in Parliament on Thursday.

In the Commons, Mr Beith said: "Parents and communities and indeed the teaching staff in schools are having to face very difficult choices against the background of suggestions and hints that the abolition of middle schools is in practice a condition of future funding.

"There is a great deal of uncertainty about what is on offer to carry through this in terms of resources and therefore a great deal of anxiety.

We accept as a department that both systems can be effective and there isn't clear research evidence to suggest that one system is preferable to the other Schools minister Stephen Twigg

"I think ministers need to come clean about their attitudes so that there can be a genuine and open debate on which system is best for Northumberland's children and young people."

Schools minister Stephen Twigg denied his department was telling the council there would be no new money for its schools unless they changed to two-tier.

He said: "The majority of LEAs now do have a primary and secondary model but a very significant minority operate middle school systems.

"And we accept as a department that both systems can be effective and there isn't clear research evidence to suggest that one system is preferable to the other."

He said reorganisation was a matter for the county council.

Earlier, Northumberland County Council said the proposals for a two-tier system were all about "creating excellence for all".

Executive member for children's services Jim Wright said: "We have never ever said that this money was not available for middle schools."

He said they had to deal with surplus place, crumbling school buildings and improving standards.