The Chief Inspector of Schools today launched an outspoken attack on critics who claim school standards have been "dumbed down".

David Bell, the head of Ofsted, said that the Tory politicians and business leaders who liked to complain that standards were falling were not interested in children who were less academically minded.

In his annual report, Mr Bell said that, on the contrary, standards had improved over the last decade. He insisted his judgments were valid because he was politically impartial.

While the number of failing schools rose sharply this year, with 323 now in special measures, overall the English education system was improving, he said.

"We have moved from a system that educated a few superbly and the rest indifferently to one that is attempting to educate everyone very well," he said.

"Those who criticise improving test results and GCSE grades as evidence of ’dumbing down’ are really only interested in those at the top end of the academic scale, and are paying lip service to having an education system that meets the needs of all.

"In a modern democracy it is essential that the education system maximises the talent of all."

The proportion of pupils getting at least five good GCSEs has risen from less than 17 per cent in 1964, when the exams were called O-Levels, to more than 50 per cent in 2004, he said.

Mr Bell insisted that while direct comparisons were not easy, this improvement was not due to "dumbing down".

Mr Bell warned that a continuing class gap was holding many poorer children back, with lower aspirations and a higher concentration of failing schools in deprived areas.

His annual report showed that 332 English schools were on "special measures" by the end of the last school year, while one school in 10 was not improving fast enough.

The latest rise in failing schools is the second year in a row the figure has increased. In total, 1,000 schools across the country were failing to make enough progress by the end of the 2003-04 academic year, the report said.

Labour and the Tories produced rival promises to get tough on school discipline yesterday. Today, Mr Bell agreed that bad behaviour was still a major concern. Levels of good behaviour had fallen while the number of schools with discipline problems shows no signs of improving.

But the chief inspector focused on the "class gap" that threatens to undermine the general improvements made over the last 10 years. He said: "I was the first from my family to attend university. I find it troubling that over 25 years later many of our least advantaged young people still believe that higher qualifications are beyond them."

Only 23 per cent of pupils from non-professional backgrounds get at least two A-Levels, compared with 53 per cent from professional backgrounds, his report said.

"This gap in performance is already evident when children are younger, hence the need to focus on early intervention."

He said more must be done to raise the aspirations of children from poorer backgrounds, many of whom were bright enough to go to top universities but did not.

Over the course of the year, 213 more schools were given Ofsted’s lowest rating and put on "special measures", compared with 160 during 2002-03. This took the total to 332 schools by summer 2004 - 50 more than the previous year. Under "special measures", schools must improve or face closure.

In all, 1.5 per cent of schools in England were judged to be failing, the report said. Mr Bell insisted the rise was because "school inspections are more rigorous".

"As the performance of schools has improved over the years, it is only right that we should have higher expectations. Not to do so would be to condemn youngsters to a standard of education that might have been acceptable 10 years ago but is clearly no longer so."

Mr Bell returned to the subject of diversity and tolerance. Two weeks ago he sparked anger among some Muslims when he warned Islamic faith schools risked undermining the coherence of British society.

"In these troubled times internationally, it is our duty to provide our young people with an education that teaches them to appreciate diversity and be aware of the dangers of extremism and fundamentalism. If we achieve this, our education system will truly have helped to build a better society," he said.

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