A LEADING Kirklees trade unionist has slammed a proposal to open two academy schools in the district.

Last month council leader Clr Robert Light announced plans to set up academies in Batley and Huddersfield.

In return for £2m start-up costs, businesses or religious groups would have a large say in the schools' recruitment and curriculum.

But most of the £25m cost of a new academy school is met by the taxpayer.

National Union of Teachers (NUT) spokeswoman Hazel Dawson believes this is unfair.

She said: "Creating academies in place of community schools transfers publicly-funded assets to unaccountable sponsoring bodies."

She fears academies would harm neighbouring schools by cherry-picking the brightest children.

Ms Dawson said: "They are a threat to fair admissions procedures and have a profoundly destabilising effect on other schools' ability to achieve a balance of abilities among their pupils.

"The NUT's position is based on evidence, while the government's is founded on spin."

Ms Dawson is speaking at a TUC meeting in the Labour Rooms at Cross Street in Huddersfield today at 7.30pm.