The government is to press ahead this week with an announcement designed to shake up state schools and tempt middle-class parents back into the public sector system. But the five-year education plan faces strong opposition from teachers and headteachers.

Forum Response: Secondary Heads Association

Dr John Dunford, SHA general secretary, commented: "I am pleased that ministers have responded to SHA's call to accelerate the programme of specialist schools. Now that the government has decided that all secondary schools can become specialist, the sooner this happens the better. Charles Clarke's more inclusive policy on specialist schools is in contrast to the exclusive model of his predecessors.