RUTH KELLY told jeering representatives of local authorities and teaching unions yesterday that there could be no compromise on education reform.

Speaking at the North of England Education Conference, in Newcastle upon Tyne, the Education Secretary was met by cries of “Shame” and “Why?”. Some delegates walked out and others knitted as she spoke.

She said that the reforms would raise standards for all, but she offered no concessions. Her unwillingness to compromise on any aspect of school admissions or independently sponsored trust schools made delegates fear that the proposals will mean a return to a two-tier education system based on academic selection, leaving behind the most vulnerable.

Ms Kelly said that trust schools would be “a bridge to better standards for the schools that need our help, not a tunnel for schools that want to go it alone” and that the proposed reforms set a framework for a “step change” in standards.

Chris Waterman, executive director of Confed, an association representing managers in children’s services and education, said that there was concern about the proposals at all levels of the education system and that Ms Kelly had done nothing to alleviate it. He said there was no evidence that the Government was listening: “If the Bill looks like the White Paper then there’ll be very stormy times ahead in Parliament and outside.”

Delegates expressed fears that allowing schools to control their own admissions threatened to bring “chaos and mayhem” to an already unfair admissions system.

John Bangs, assistant secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said that the proposed changes to admissions would allow individual decisions within the context of a national code, with potential for “all sorts of fancy footwork”.

Although delegates said that their fears would remain unless the Government makes the code of admissions statutory, with all schools legally bound by the same rules, Ms Kelly ruled out any concessions.

But it was her insistence that all new schools “should be at arm’s length from local authorities” that provoked a furore in the hall. Teaching unions accused her of “strong-arming” local authorities.

Ms Kelly appeared determined to tough it out. “Sometimes doing the right thing is not the easy thing,” she said.

RUTH KELLY ON 5 LIVE YESTERDAY

Ruth Kelly: In 1998 we outlawed in primary legislation the ability to elect by academic ability.

Nicky Campbell: Yes, so schools will never be able to admit on academic ability . . . just on sporting ability and musical ability and other abilities? That makes no sense.

RK: If you say that 10 per cent, one in ten of . . . er . . . pupils at a school have some talent in sport of music or art . . . er . . . and then that the school builds up an expertise which it then shares and has to be able to share by sharing teachers and facilities and so forth with other neighbouring schools. I think people think that that is just sensible . . .

NC: What if 10 per cent have a particular ability in Latin and French and history — what is the difference?

RK: Well you know we’re talking about an 11 plus system . . .

NC: I didn’t mention the 11 plus at all.

RK: Well academic . . . er . . . selection by academic ability . . . er . . . generally is on a system that you either pass . . . er . . . or fail, that you are either seen as a success or written off as a failure. I think that is totally divisive, I would never want to go back to that sort of system, completely different to the Conservatives, who now say . . . er . . . that the main difference between them and us is that they want to see a . . . er . . . school able to select by academic ability. Instead what we are doing is saying that schools ought to play to their strengths . . .

Times Recommends

• Should Knox’s trial even have reached the courtroom?
• All that glitters is not sold in Wright’s world
• Believe it or not, Big Brother is your friend