NEW RESEARCH SHOWS BLAIR'S FLAGSHIP EDUCATION POLICY WOULD INCREASE INEQUALITY

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 26th Feb 2007

Commenting on the report issued by Tony Blair's favourite think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, today which calls for schools to be stripped of their power to run their own admissions policies, Liberal Democrat Schools Spokesperson, Greg Mulholland MP said:

"This revealing report shows that Tony Blair's education reforms are deeply flawed and will only serve to increase inequality.

"Giving schools complete control over their own admissions worsens the risk that they will simply cherry-pick the best pupils, rather than a fair representation of the local community.

"It is extremely revealing that it is Tony Blair's favourite New Labour think tank who has levelled these criticisms at the Government; it just goes to show how deeply unpopular and flawed his flagship policy really is.

"Schools want freedom from government interference, but freedom to set their curriculum and choose how they teach is more important than the power to weed out less desirable pupils."