Cameron and Gove say Tories could make school 'dreams come true'

Party leader David Cameron and shadow children's secretary Michael Gove told parents at a rally in Kirklees yesterday that they could make their "dreams come true".

"The whole aim of my government if we win this election, will be to help people like you to realise your dream; a great school at the heart of your community with great standards, great discipline and great aspiration for all the children who want to go there," Cameron told the parents.

"You've got the belief, I've got the faith in you and together we can make this happen."

Gove criticised the government for closing local schools and forcing children into "titan" schools. He said the Conservatives would "create a new generation of independent smaller state schools with smaller classes".

Lesley Surman, a spokeswoman for the local BBG Parents' Alliance, which organised the rally, said families have spent years campaigning for a new school to serve Birkenshaw, Birstall, Gomersal and East Bierley.

"We've held rallies, marches, car convoys and demonstrations at the local council," she said. "We've had more than 3,000 parents pledge their support for a new school and have worked with education experts and teachers to ensure our school will be successful. Yet the government keeps turning us down. All we want is to keep our community together by having a good, small local school available to all."

But Dave Prentis, general secretary of the public sector union Unison, hit out at Tory plans to allow parents, faith groups and companies to set up their own schools.

"The Tories are completely out of touch with public opinion on schools," he warned. "They want to hand our schools over to private companies, or groups of self-selecting parents washing their hands of running a decent education system for all."

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said the Conservatives would have to make "deep and immediate cuts to schools that children are already attending", to make their free market schools plans work.

"David Cameron and Michael Gove now have two questions to answer," he said. "Where will the money for their new free market schools come from if not by cutting the budgets of existing schools? And will they match Labour's pledge of rising per pupil funding of 2.1 per cent per year?"