Listen to Philip Webster on the Ruth Kelly controversy

Ruth Kelly launched an emotional defence yesterday of her decision to send her son to a £15,000-a-year private school, saying that he had “substantial learning difficulties” and she wanted to do the right thing for him. “Bringing up children in the public eye is never easy,” she added.

Having failed in her attempt to keep her move secret in the interests of her child, the former Education Secretary said that she had removed her son from a state school after professional advice recommended that he be placed in a school “able to meet his particular needs”.

Ms Kelly emphasised that her three other children were in the state system, that she intended her son to return to the state secondary sector, and that none of the cost of the private schooling would fall to the taxpayer.

With Ms Kelly facing charges of hypocrisy for choosing to opt out of the state sector, her friends insisted that her son was facing more than one serious learning difficulty — it is thought dyspraxia as well as dyslexia — and that the state schools in her area could not meet his needs.

But one Labour MP called on Ms Kelly to stand down from her current job as Communities Secretary and others strongly criticised her decision.

She has chosen to send her son to a school based at a country house which offers 60 pupils aged up to 13 the use of a swimming pool, tennis courts and a music room. The school refused to comment yesterday.

Labour was criticised while Ms Kelly was Education Secretary for closing schools that cater for children with learning difficulties. Some 138 have shut in the past ten years.

The Government’s “inclusion” policy suggests that children with special needs should be taught in ordinary schools alongside their peers where possible.

Ms Kelly said: “I appreciate that some will disagree with my decision. I understand why, but we all face difficult choices as parents and I, like any mother, want to do the right thing for my son — that has been my sole motivation.”

Dyspraxia is a learning difficulty that makes it difficult for people to co-ordinate their movements and to process information. It can affect speech and the fine movements that children need to hold a pencil and write, and often accompanies other conditions, such as dyslexia.

Ms Kelly received backing from Downing Street and the Conservatives. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that Tony Blair did not believe being a minister barred a parent from sending his or her children to schools outside the state system.

David Cameron also defended Ms Kelly’s right to choose, saying that he did not think she was being hypocritical. “Some people are going to say it’s hypocrisy. Well, if they were going to abolish private education, then it would be hypocrisy, but they’re not.

He added: “People should recognise that politicians, like everyone else, are parents first and will act in the best interests of their children.”

A spokesman for Tower Hamlets Council, the local authority involved, said that it had been rated highly by Ofsted and the Commission for Social Care Inspection. “We have a strong track record in helping children with a wide range of learning needs to succeed. We are confident that our schools are well resourced and provide high-quality education for all learners, including those with special needs.”

Ken Purchase, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, called for Ms Kelly to resign. “It’s extremely disappointing that a person who was in charge of our schools clearly shows no commitment to state education.”

But Ian Austin, Labour MP for Dudley North, said: “I think Ruth’s child ought to be able to get on with his or her education without being subjected to this sort of scrutiny.”

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