THE backlash against a borough's education's chief continued today despite the announcement his council had received national recognition for standards in schools.

Tory councillors have demanded the resignation of executive member for education and lifelong learning at Blackburn with Darwen Council Coun Mahfooz Hussain in the wake of two failing schools.

They say a head must roll for allowing Queen's Park and Darwen Moorland High Schools to be put into special measures by government inspectors from Ofsted - despite the council being awarded Beacon status for school improvement in 2000.

Now Conservative councillors are angered that the council has been accredited with the government's Beacon status again - this time for transforming the school workforce.

Conservative education spokesperson Michael Law-Riding said: "Essentially someone has to take the responsibility for lack of performance in schools, and the person who has that responsibility is Coun Hussain.

"This council is more than happy to take all the plaudits for Beacon Status. But any achievement or award is not an award for the Labour Party but rather a recognition of the work of council employees and the people of this town.

"The latest Beacon status should not be used to praise the work of the Labour group and claim it as their own.

"Our concerns are the very real concerns of pupils, parents and teachers that their schools are seen as being successful."

But the honour of Beacon status, according to council leader Sir Bill Taylor, is a sign of the council "leading the way".

He said: "This is yet another example of excellent delivery and partnership and is further testament to our dedication of our education workforce who are striving to further improve services across the borough."

And Coun Hussain used the award as a tribute to "vision, hard work and contribution so far".

Among the successes recognised by the award are the setting up of professional learning networks so schools can work together and share good practice, work done on implementing the new National Agreement on reducing teachers' workload and strengthening the role of support workers in schools.

Simon Jones, Secretary of Blackburn with Darwen NUT, said: "While I am reluctant to join a Tory witch-hunt for Coun Hussain I am prepared to say most members see Beacon status as a total irrelevance.

"They are more concerned with the day-to-day pressures of excessive work loads, useless tests and challenging behaviour, not to mention government plans to reduce the number of teachers by replacing them with unqualified support staff and to force teachers to work until they are 65."