A committee of MPs has slammed the government's policy on school admissions.

A report from the Commons education select committee said the current policy was driven by "fashion and expediency rather than intellectual rigour".

Party Response: Liberal Democrat

Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said: "Now we know why this report was delayed until after Charles Clarke revealed his five year plan for schools – the admission system is in chaos, with those children with the greatest needs missing out.

"The increased plethora of admission arrangements and a weak code of practice has meant a near free for all. Concentrations of pupils with behaviour difficulties, special education needs or increasingly ethnic backgrounds means that many schools do not have balanced intakes.

"The secretary of state cannot have his cake and eat it – diversity and localism are incompatible objectives.

"It is time for the government to take heed – we need common local admission policies for all schools receiving state funding, backed by a statutory code of practice."

Stakeholder Response: National Union of Teachers

Steve Sinnott, NUT general secretary, said: "The MPs were right to be concerned about the possibility of selection by stealth.

"It is the government’s obsession with so-called choice that has rendered toothless the code of practice on admissions.

"Local authorities and schools are asked the impossible when schools are encouraged to define themselves by designation rather than their ability to work together.

"The range of schools proposed by the government will benefit those who can fight their way through a mass of varying admissions schemes yet leave those most in need of support to flounder."

Stakeholder Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Dr Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: "The government is hopelessly muddled in its approach to selection. For most parents the difference between selection by aptitude and selection by ability is mere semantics.

"There is no getting away from the fact that selection for some reduces parental choice for the majority.

"It is difficult to reconcile these contradictory approaches, and we will continue to suspect political sleight of hand until the DfES and the prime minister sort out their thinking in this crucial area."

Stakeholder Response: Secondary Heads Association

Martin Ward, deputy general secretary, said: "SHA welcomes this carefully researched report, which is a valuable contribution to debate on this important topic.

"That 10 per cent of parents should wish to appeal over admissions is a matter of great concern to the Secondary Heads Association. 

"It can be very hard for the schools that these children do attend to win the trust of the parents concerned.  A completely free choice of schools (like any other untrammelled freedom) can never be possible, and part of the present problem is that politicians of all parties have raised expectations of choice that cannot be fulfilled.

"There has been a decade and more of denigration of the education system that has given the impression that most schools are poor and that parents need to shop around for a decent education for their children. 

"Though there are poor schools, the vast majority are in fact good - and the great majority of parents, who do use their local school, are satisfied with the education their children receive.

"SHA welcomes the report's support for its view that the government should concentrate less on reforming the system, and spend less time in creating elite schools.  It should concentrate instead on improving all schools and celebrating their success so that more parents will want to use their local school.

"Simply allowing popular schools to grow will risk them being overloaded and losing what makes them popular. 

"A voucher scheme would not solve but exaggerate the problem, effectively allowing some schools to choose their pupils, but not necessarily giving any larger number of parents their first choice. 

"Though there are surplus places nationally, in some parts of the country more schools are needed."

Stakeholder Response: NASUWT

Chris Keates, acting general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "The current admissions system was 'stacked against parents and pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds'.

"It lacks clarity and is frustrating, non-inclusive and inequitable.

"The committee is entirely justified in asking the government to explain the contradiction between its aim of creating a fair and equal education system for all, with the continued development of an elitist system."