Elitism still rife in schools - report

Teacher union NASUWT said the selection of school students and parents on the basis of their ability to cough up has become a reality - hitting parents already reeling from unemployment and austerity policies.

A survey by the union showed that even in state-funded schools increasing costs are serious issues for parents, with more than half expecting to pay above the odds for uniforms.

More than one in 10 parents said that they could not afford to allow their child to participate in educational trips or visits and more than a quarter made regular contributions to a school fund.

Meanwhile the Independent on Sunday (IoS) ran an exclusive today saying that Mr Gove wants to fast-track "elite graduates" into social work.

He wants to launch a programme called Frontline, which is modelled on the Teach First initiative and is aimed at getting graduates with high class degrees into classrooms.

But there are concerns the idea might not be right for social work - the IoS quoted front line social worker Sonia Simpson who said it could mean going back to the 1970s when "a lot of social workers were white, middle-class do-gooders."

She said: "It's great to be academic - but does that mean you'll be a good practising social worker and will know how to deal with people whose lives are in crisis?"