The government is struggling to convince the nation's parents of the wisdom of its plans for the education system, according to a new survey.

Conducted by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and YouGov, the representative survey of 1,526 parents shows that 50 per cent of respondents believe the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition's impact on education has been negative.

Only five per cent said they totally trusted education secretary Michael Gove to make decisions about their child's education, compared to 52 per cent saying they did not trust him at all. A similar percentage - 51 per cent - said they do not agree that the academies and free schools programme is taking education in England in the right direction.

The survey revealed that parents were far more likely to sympathise with the position of teachers, with 49 per cent stating their belief that teaching unions are correct in most of their concerns about education policy and should therefore be listened to by the government.

Meanwhile, 65 per cent agreed that teachers should have the democratic right to strike and 77 per cent believe there should be a national pay system for all teachers, as they do not feel negotiating pay structures should be a key concern that headteachers need to deal with.

It was also shown that UK parents generally appreciate the fact that teachers tend to be underpaid, undervalued and subject to excess pressure and stress.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said: "The government needs to start listening to someone other than themselves. From the issue of unqualified teachers to the flagship academies and free schools programme, no one is convinced of their education reforms.

"A well-rounded education system delivered by motivated and respected teachers is what we need. The coalition is giving us the exact opposite."

Results from the study were discussed at the recent NUT annual conference, where members of the union voted in favour of carrying out national strike action later this year.

Posted by Mydat