GOVERNMENT plans for the development of education in the UK have "massive and very serious" implications for children in rural areas like County Durham, one of the region's leading Labour councillors has claimed.

Coun Neil Foster, Durham County cabinet member for education and lifelong learning, said the plans outlined in the Government's five-year strategy for education document had a distinct urban bias. The county council's controlling Labour group views the implications as being so serious that it has organised a special meeting of the county Labour party, which will be held tomorrow at County Hall.

"Nobody has any argument with 75pc of the document," said Coun Foster. "But the fundamental flaw is that it is urban-based.

"If you live in London, you would have a choice of six or seven schools, but that isn't possible in rural areas," he added. "And if parents wish to send their child to a school which specialises in particular subjects, there could be the expectation that the county council picks up the bill for transport, which already costs us £14m a year."

Coun Foster also remained unconvinced that creating academies with private funding would necessarily improve academic standards.

"We have grave concerns that these proposals will affect the steadily rising standards in our schools that we have worked so hard to achieve," he said. "If they were implemented in their present form, they could be harmful for education in primarily rural areas like ours."

Coun Foster was also concerned that the strategy could lead to more competition between schools, while the county council has been trying to pull schools together so they helped each other.

"Tomorrow's meeting has been called to get a sounding and see if my concerns are shared by other people," he said. "I hope the feedback will help inform our response to the relevant ministers and shape our approach to education policy. At the end of the day I will make it work, but our aim is not to go back to the old days and individualise schools."

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "The five-year strategy sets out the Government's plans to transform the standards and quality of education, training, and services for all children, young people and families, irrespective of where they live."