A GOVERNMENT minister has hit back at a York school chief's fears over the new education white paper.

Speaking exclusively to the Evening Press, Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell accused York's executive member for education, Coun Carol Runciman, of "getting the wrong end of the stick" over proposed regime changes.

"The White Paper's aim is clear - to improve schools across the board and not just a number of schools," said Mr Rammell.

"We certainly want to encourage collaboration between schools and if one or more schools want to be trust schools, then so be it."

The minister's comments follow Coun Runciman's concerns voiced in the Evening Press on November 14 when she claimed the Government's proposals outlined in the White Paper called Higher Standards, Better Schools For All, could cause some schools to "go to the wall" and "destabilise" the school system.

Her main concerns centred on plans to allow schools to opt out of local authority control, and expand at any pace.

These schools would have the freedom to write their own curriculum, and set their own admissions policy.

Mr Rammell said: "Regarding Coun Runciman's comments on trust schools opting out of LEA control, I would say we are looking to make schools advocates of parents' rights not sidelining them.

"Sometimes I think what happens whenever you get changes proposed is a knee-jerk response to defend the status quo."

Coun Runciman believes the biggest risk is that one school could expand very quickly, harming the education of pupils at nearby schools which would lose pupils, and therefore resources.

Mr Rammell said: "Trust schools are not like grant-maintained schools. They won't be able to undermine other schools opting out of local authority control at the expense of others.

"Our aim is for trust schools to work with other schools and in collaboration. That way, all schools will improve."

But Coun Runciman said: "The White Paper was about gaining investment for some schools and not for others through trusts and private business in a similar way to the existing academies.

"As soon as a school gets more money and more investment, it becomes attractive to parents.

"If local authorities aren't able to create improvements across the sector, it is obvious some schools will grow at the expense of others.

"This is the record of the academies, where investment has led to selection by the back door.

"They are taking parents who will come and be interviewed with their child and are able to travel distances and articulate their views.

"I still believe every child should go to a good school that is local to them where they can feel part of their community and parents can feel part of the school."

Updated: 09:52 Monday, November 28, 2005