COMMENTS made by education secretary Estelle Morris condemning the English comprehensive school system have been slammed by the Hertfordshire division of the National Union of Teachers (NUT).

Ms Morris speaking at the Social Market Foundation in London on Monday, June 24 said that as a former teacher there were some comprehensives in England which she "would not touch with a barge pole".

She said she would rather see greater diversity through schools achieving specialist status in a particular subject, for which they would receive £100,000 from the Government for capital investment and an additional £120,000 every year for four years.

Hertfordshire NUT spokesman John Berry said: "We at the NUT are utterly appalled by the comments made by Estelle Morris on Monday.

"Ms Morris must realise that the comprehensive school system has in fact raised standards of education in England. For her to describe them in this way beggars belief.

"The Labour Government which Estelle Morris represents is detrimental to the education of our children," said Mr Berry.

"They have introduced more and more uniformity and restrictions on teachers and the methods of teaching over the years which have stifled the ability of extremely capable members of staff to work efficiently.

"They have also produced an unrealistic testing regieme for students which has resulted in them having to face over 100 tests and exams throughout their accademic career.

"This means there is time being spent preparing for these exams which could be better used for in-depth teaching of a subject."

With the exception of Townsend School in High Oaks, St Albans, each of the secondary schools in the area is either attempting to raise the £50,000 bid needed to apply to the DfES for specialist status or considering entering a bid.

They will also be entitled to select ten per cent of their pupils on an aptitude basis if successful.

Hertfordshire NUT had previously expressed concerns that this would lead to schools creaming off the most successful pupils, creating a two-tier system between specialist schools and ordinary state schools.

Mr Berry said: "Obviously I cannot speak for each individual school, but having talked with people in secondary education in Hertfordshire many feel they have been left with little choice but to submit a bid for the extra funding or be left behind.

"Ms Morris's comments will only enhance this opinion."

June 26, 2002 15:00