OPPOSITION councillors fear educational standards could suffer if schools become academies.

Lancashire County Council's Labour Group has expressed concern over the coalition’s proposals to invite schools to become academies.

A total of 24 ‘outstanding’ Lancashire schools have shown a desire to change their status. If approved, they would be publicly funded and no longer controlled by local government.

Schools rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted could also be fast-tracked through the scheme. But opposition councillors fear this is at odds with the previous Labour government's aim to create academies that would improve failing schools and the educational attainments in deprived areas.

County Coun Clive Grunshaw, Labour education spokesperson, said: “The current rush by the coalition government to create new school academies will undoubtedly create further disparity and unfairness within our education system. Quite simply, the coalition government is attempting to use already ‘outstanding' schools to prove that their only education policy will be a success despite the obvious inaccuracies, anomalies and omissions in proposed legislation.”

Susie Charles, cabinet member for children and schools, said: “I don't think educational standards will suffer. All we are interested in is that the children of Lancashire get the best education possible.”