HEADTEACHERS in Bolton have defended the role of local comprehensive schools in the face of Government plans to overhaul the secondary education system and create more "specialist colleges."

The launch of the Green Paper Schools Building On Success this week has been given a lukewarm reception by heads at Bolton schools which have already achieved specialist status.

The Government's proposals include transforming up to half the country's secondary schools into "specialist colleges" and propose to give schools powers to select 10 per cent of their student body based on ability.

The Prime Minister's office caused controversy when a spokesman said: "the day of the bog standard comprehensive school is over."

The remark led to a sharp rebuke from the general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) David Hart who said: "This remark has damaged the image of the comprehensive system throughout the country.

"Many comprehensive schools throughout the country are achieving outstanding results and are being highly praised by Ofsted."

Head of St Joseph's RC High School, Chorley New Road, Leo Conley agreed that the image of the comprehensive may have been unfairly tarnished by the comments.

"It certainly does not help," said Mr Conley. "I have worked in comprehensive schools for most of my working life and they have always achieved.

Incredible

"There are many comprehensive schools that have not achieved specialist college status that do an incredible job and this remark does them a disservice."

Mr Conley's school gained the status for sport last year.

He said: "This is not a new idea. Neither is the idea of selecting pupils on their ability. We already have this option in Bolton but we feel quite strongly there should be no element of selection."

Rivington and Blackrod High School has also gained Technology College status and head John Baumber confirmed that selection of pupils was not a new idea but would not considered.

He said: "The remarks about bog standard comprehensives was an unfortunate one which does not help the debate.

"We are approaching an election and I think there is a lot of political capital to be made at this time."

But Mr Baumber said the creation of more specialist colleges could only be a good thing for the town.

"The opportunity for more schools in Bolton to develop a specialism would add to the diversity of the town and I believe it could be a a great opportunity," he said. "This is a great time for education, there is more money being invested and more opportunities than ever before."

But both heads agreed that more could be done to tackle the very real problem of recruiting and retaining teachers.

"I have seen little in the Green Paper yet that talks about how quality teaching staff are going to be recruited into the profession," said Mr Baumber. "This is the biggest problem we are faced with and if we are going to have a good quality education system then we need to be recruiting and retaining good quality teachers."