Embattled Gove promises cash for crumbling school buildings

He also said ministers "hope to help people in all those areas who feel disappointed" by the decision to cancel more than 700 school rebuilding projects.

His comments come as shadow education secretary and Yorkshire MP Ed Balls promised to fight the Government's cuts "all the way".

Seeking to pile more pressure on Mr Gove, Mr Balls launched a "save our schools" campaign and called on parents and teachers to join a Westminster rally later this month.

The Education Secretary is facing a growing backlash from MPs, including Tories, after announcing the end of Labour's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme last week.

Anger deepened after it then emerged that a list of 715 affected projects was strewn with errors, so that many schools thought they had escaped the axe only to learn otherwise later.

Later, Mr Gove was forced to apologise to the Commons.

Mr Gove said that some schools were "understandably disappointed that they won't be getting the money the last government boasted about and I feel for them".

He said: "We will of course continue to invest in school buildings and hope to help people in all those areas who feel disappointed now.

"We will make sure there are more places for primary pupils and help schools in need of serious repair."

But, Mr Balls said: "The real sin isn't the mess of the announcement, it's the madness of the policy.

"And the ultimate responsibility for these unfair and unnecessary cuts rests with Michael Gove, and him alone."

He urged opponents of the cuts to sign up to his campaign at www.save-our-schools.org.uk and to join him at a rally in Westminster on Monday, July 19.

"We really must fight these cuts all the way," said Mr Balls, who is in the running to become the next Labour leader.

Four Tory MPs have so far spoken out about BSF cuts affecting their constituencies – including Conservative MP for Shipley Philip Davies.

Liberal Democrat Minister Nick Harvey has also warned that the "credibility" of the coalition Government was at risk if it failed quickly to set out alternative funding to fix "inadequate" buildings.

There was continued confusion about which projects were affected and the criteria set by Mr Gove. Some on the hitlist of those facing the chop have already reached "financial close" with contractors. Mr Gove said this week that projects already at that stage would be safe.

SECONDARY SEARCH TERRIFIES CAMERON

David Cameron has said he is "terrified" by the prospect of trying to find a good state secondary school for his children.

The Prime Minister said that, living in central London, he sympathised with parents in areas where there was no choice of decent schools.

In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, he said: "I've got a six-year-old and a four-year-old and I'm terrified living in central London.

"Am I going to find a good secondary school for my children? I feel it as a parent, let alone as a politician."