The Labour Party's proposed changes to the education system have been received both positively and cautiously by leaders of the teaching profession.

At the end of April, the opposition revealed it intends to reverse reforms put in place by the coalition government, if it were to win the forthcoming 2015 general election.

David Blunkett - the former education secretary - has published 40 recommendations in total, including the notion to form a group of regional commissioners who would oversee schools in areas across England. 

There would be 80 of these independent directors of standards, while the introduction of so-called "education incubation zones" has also been proposed to try to raise the level of quality in specific regions of the country. 

This initiative would see facilities falling under this banner being given extra resources and access to better technology in a bid to cultivate improved results.

In response, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) Mary Bousted said: "Teachers will be sceptical about whether new education bodies, such as community trusts and education incubation zones, will make a difference."

She noted: "Directors of school standards would need to build strong working relationships across the education sector, but will not work if they end up putting Ofsted-like pressure on schools to conform to the latest political fad."

In addition to the ATL, the NASUWT teachers' union has given its views on Mr Blunkett's review, with general secretary Chris Keates noting that reforms introduced by Michael Gove have "weakened democratic accountability" across the education sector.

Ms Keates observed the "devil would be in the detail" when it came to whether or not Labour's ideas would prove to be effective for those working in teaching jobs in the long term.

The Department for Education has also responded to claims Mr Blunkett made that suggested the current setup had failed in its aims of bringing localism to the sector, adding the changes made to the system by the coalition had resulted in fewer pupils being taught in failing schools.

Posted by Darryl Mydat