Fears raised over 'divisive' university technical colleges

A further three UTCs are in the process of being set up and two are already open, taking the total number of these specialist 14-19 academies to 18 by 2015.

Meanwhile, the government has approved 55 free schools to open at the start of the next academic year. These include 21 primary schools, 33 secondary schools, eight all-through schools and one 16 to 19 school.

Several alternative provision free schools, special free schools and studio schools are also likely to be approved later this year.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said free schools and UTCs will lead to a "revolution" in the education system.

"These new schools allow talented and experienced people to be imaginative and bold in creating great new schools," he said. "They will offer more choice to parents in the type of education their child receives and will raise standards in many communities where the need is great.

"UTCs are also a key part of the government’s drive to provide school leavers with the technical knowledge and skills that industry demands. This is vital for our economic growth."

But Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, argued that UTCs are "extremely divisive" and will force young people to make educational choices too early.

"Separating ‘technical’ or ‘vocational’ education from mainstream schools will lead to a two-tier system with technical schools being potentially seen as the poor cousin," she said. "We need an education system that opens up a range of different routes for young people to progress into further education, training and employment, and keeps their options open, not closes them down at age 14 or 16."

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, welcomed the government’s focus on vocational education. But she warned that new UTCs risk diverting funding from existing school and college provision, which could narrow the overall range of educational opportunities available for young people in an area.

"The NASUWT is concerned that the axing of funding for education maintenance allowances will also mean that fewer young people will continue to participate in education and training after the age of 16, making a mockery of today’s announcement on UTCs," she added.

"The development of UTCs could result in young people being encouraged to make decisions about their future learning at too early a stage and in a way that could reduce their employment chances later on. Many 14-year-olds simply will not be ready for such life-changing decisions."

UTCs offer full-time courses, which focus on technical specialisms and academic studies. All UTCs are sponsored by a local university and employers.