TEACHERS in the region have accused Education Secretary Michael Gove of using the growing row over this summers GCSE grades to pave the way for the privatisation of the state education system.

Leading members of the two main teaching unions in the North-East claimed the accusation by the exams watchdog, Ofqual, that teachers had overmarked GCSE English papers this summer was part of Mr Goves political agenda to denigrate teachers in the state system.

Ofqual is the subject of legal action from an alliance of schools, teaching unions and local authorities over this summers GCSE English results.

The alliance claims that Ofqual moved the goalposts and marked more harshly this summer to counter the perception that exams were getting too easy.

This led to thousands of 16 year olds who had been expected to gain vital C grade passes in English being given D grade fails.

Among the most badly affected schools was St Aidans Academy in Darlington, where about 40 per cent of the 116 teenagers who took GCSE English this summer were unexpectedly given D fails.

Other North-East schools affected by the surprise slump in grades including Hurworth Academy, Haughton Academy and Longfield Sports Academy, all in Darlington.

In total 102 Darlington teenagers missed out on pass grades they were expected to get.

Another dozen teenagers at Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland, also missed out on pass grades.

In last weeks report from Ofqual the independent exams watchdog argued that pressure to get the best possible grades for their schools led to teachers giving overly-generous marks to their students coursework..

Mike McDonald, North-East regional secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "This is just another stick with which to beat teachers as far as Michael Gove is concerned. What went wrong is that Ofqual moved the goalposts. They should get their own house in order before they blame everybody else."

Mr McDonald said the Government "doesnt want to hear that schools are making progress, which doesnt fit in with their political agenda, which is to privatise state education."

Michelle Williams, a history teacher at Durham Johnston School in Durham City and a national executive member of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) said: "The more Mr Gove can discredit state education the more likely is that he will be able to push through a privatising agenda. This is a softening up tactic."