Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Tristram Hunt MP, responding to Michael Gove’s education proposals, said:

“Good Numeracy and literacy form the foundations for a quality education and for that you need great teaching. That’s why Labour would end Michael Gove’s policy of unqualified teachers.

"But what we are seeing from Michael Gove today is merely an attempt to distract from his failure to respond to warnings about Birmingham schools. He is refusing to address the lack of local oversight of our schools, leading to the sorts of problems we are seeing in Birmingham.

"Instead of chasing headlines, he should support Labour’s policy for local school oversight - Labour would introduce Directors of School Standards in every local area to act on concerns and root-out underperformance before it sets in.”

Ends.