Throw bad educators out of our classrooms says MP

Improving the quality of teaching is more important than spending billions constructing "iconic" new school buildings in deprived areas, said Graham Stuart, the new chairman of the Education Select Committee.

And he challenged teaching unions to prove they are committed to raising standards rather than simply keeping members in their jobs even if they are not up to it.

"We've got to encourage and motivate higher calibre people into teaching," said Mr Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness. "We've also got to identify those who are not up to scratch and make it more likely for them to be removed from the profession."

He added: "I think it's important the Government reaches out to unions and unions show that they're more committed to educational quality than they are to the narrow protection of their members' interests."

A member of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee in the last parliament – where he served under the chairmanship of fellow Yorkshire MP, Huddersfield's Barry Sherman – Mr Stuart has already made his mark since being elected to his new role shortly before the summer break.

He sent a shot across the coalition's bows when he criticised the decision to rush through legislation for a new wave of academies – but also locked horns with Shadow Schools Secretary Ed Balls as he backed the Government's decision to scrap a host of school building projects.

He is unapologetic for supporting Education Secretary Michael Gove who cancelled the projects under the Building Schools for the Future scheme, even though the Minister was forced to apologise for botching the announcement, leaving councils confused about whether their schemes had been ditched.

"The expenditure could not be justified," said Mr Stuart. "The balance needs to be struck much more in favour of refurbishment and renewal and value for money than perhaps some of the Ceaucescu-esque excesses of Labour's programme for iconic buildings in poor areas.

"Contrary to assertion by Ed Balls and others, fabulous buildings do not lead to transformed educational outcomes for the poorest children however temporarily inspired they may be. The only thing that makes a difference is higher quality teaching in a school with the right ethos."

Mr Stuart is reluctant to criticise the handling of the announcement by Mr Gove although he says with a chuckle: "Welcome to Government, it's a tough job and he's had to hold on tight."

But he is no apologist for the administration either. "I don't resile from my earlier remarks," he says referring to his criticism of the haste with which Mr Gove rushed through his legislation allowing more schools to become academies. The Minister faced embarrassment last week when it emerged only 32 schools will reopen as independent academies this term, much lower than anticipated.

"It was a new government in a hurry to bring about the changes it believed could bring about a difference," he said. "They were clear about why they thought they were doing it and I felt that generally governments should reflect more and think more before driving legislation through but I think the way they did it in the end, in the circumstances, they carried it off well.

"The most important thing in our education system is to improve the quality of teaching. I look at every decision and every policy trough the prism of how this will encourage a higher calibre of people into teaching and retain and motivate them in that most important of jobs.

"In that context the issue of greater freedom for schools alone is not I think going to be the answer, but it can be part of the answer with other measures to ensure we raise the standing and practice of the profession."

He is also sceptical about how many of Mr Gove's flagship "free schools" will be established. Just 16 are earmarked for the first wave, including King's Science Academy in Bradford.

"My guess is the numbers will never be that great but any area crying out for an improved educational offering that gets one will be grateful for it," he said.

He also warned that while it would be "very tough" dealing with budget cuts, it would be wrong to neglect education spending, highlighting the need to better equip young people with the "soft skills" necessary to enter the world of work.