Commenting on the shadow education secretary’s speech to Conservative Party Conference, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"This was such a disappointing and cheap speech ill befitting a politician wanting to be Secretary of State for Education. Laura Trott had the chance today to talk about the real problems in our schools, such as funding cuts and class sizes. She chose not to. This speech chases tabloid headlines but it does not offer any coherent or joined up vision for education or a positive future for our children.
"Many people at the Conservative Party Conference are school governors and local councillors. They set budgets that don't add up. They witness families wait months for learning support their children are entitled to. They have huge concerns over funding and SEND provision, thanks to fourteen years of mismanagement by government, which are shared by parents.
"The Conservatives ran education for 14 years and their decisions and choices left a SEND system in crisis and a large section of young people marginalised and locked out of opportunity. They could have stood up to big tech and stopped the entirely socially irresponsible roll out of social media. They didn’t.
"The slurs about hard-working teachers in this speech are shocking. Teachers already follow the law on impartiality in teaching. Parents can already see what their children learn and have high respect for the teachers they know. Forcing schools to hand over every worksheet on demand would bury teachers in paperwork.
"This is a policy imported from Trump’s culture wars. When Virginia's governor set up a line for parents to report teachers, people used it to praise them, and it closed within months. We have also seen in this country what happens when campaigns target individual teachers. Trott's plan would put teachers at risk and drive more of them out of the profession.
"Parents trust teachers far more than any politician because parents know that those who work in education battle against impossible circumstances and a lack of resource, to help every child be the best they can.
"Parents want a curriculum that prepares young people successfully and motivates them to learn and aspire. Parents want smaller classes, stable staffing, properly funded schools and quality support for children with SEND. That is the reality which the Conservatives are avoiding."