Mr Willetts told the annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, that too many allegations of abuse turned out to be untrue. School discipline was being undermined by false claims from pupils and the lives of individual teachers suffered tremendous harm. He said that the Conservatives would table an amendment to the Education and Inspections Bill to give teachers the same protection as children while allegations of abuse are investigated. This would prevent them from being named in public unless they were charged with an offence.

Guidance to schools, local authorities and police already suggested that anonymity should be maintained during inquiries but Mr Willetts said that this needed to be given statutory force.

Mr Willetts was given a warm reception by delegates of the NAHT, which, with 28,000 members, is the biggest heads’ union. He chided Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, as childish for refusing to allow ministers to address the conference because of a dispute over reform of the school workforce. “I think we need to have a grown-up dialogue and it is absolutely hopeless in a democratic society, where high-quality education depends on professional commitment, for any education secretary of whatever political complexion to refuse to communicate with the NAHT,” he said.

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