Failing students should repeat the last year of primary school, Tory leader David Cameron has proposed.
Failing students should repeat the last year of primary school, Tory leader David Cameron has proposed.
He said the move could form part of a "genuine schools revolution" improving literacy, numeracy and discipline.
He said the move could form part of a "genuine schools revolution" improving literacy, numeracy and discipline.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Cameron backs calls for head teachers to be given extra cash if they take on disadvantaged students.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Cameron calls for heads get extra cash if they take on disadvantaged pupils.
It comes as Schools Secretary Ed Balls urges schools to concentrate on the basics amid stalling education reforms.
But a government spokeswoman said his claim that 43% of children leave primary school unable to read, write and count properly was "quite wrong".
The Tory leader's intervention comes as Schools Secretary Ed Balls urges schools to concentrate on the basics amid stalling education reforms.
Mr Cameron's proposals suggest the worst performers in year six will have to either catch up at summer classes or repeat the entire academic year.
Mr Cameron's proposals suggest the worst performers in year six will have to either catch up at summer classes or repeat the entire academic year.
He claims that currently 43% of children leave primary school unable to read, write and count properly.
He promised to "look carefully" at the measure, which is already used in the US and some European countries.
He promised to "look carefully" at the measure, which is already used in the US and some European countries.
'Zero tolerance'
'Zero tolerance'
But Jean Milham, head teacher of Morningside Primary School in Hackney, East London, told BBC Radio Five Live that the idea would mean children were branded as failures.
She added: "Some of these children have got very special needs and they will never attain.
"So what are we going to do? Keep young children in a primary school for the rest of their school life?"
In his article, Mr Cameron repeated a call to put "rocket boosters" under the government's City Academies strategy - one of former prime minister Tony Blair's projects, which some believe will be scaled down by new leader Gordon Brown.
In his article, Mr Cameron repeated a call to put "rocket boosters" under the government's City Academies strategy - one of former prime minister Tony Blair's projects, which some believe will be scaled down by new leader Gordon Brown.
Mr Cameron said there should be a "bonfire of controls" so teachers were freed from bureaucracy and targets which make them "glorified form fillers".
Mr Cameron said there should be a "bonfire of controls" so teachers were freed from bureaucracy and targets which make them "glorified form fillers".
There is clearly still some way to go to deliver a world-class education, to have every child reaching the standards we would like them to reach Schools Secretary Ed Balls
There is clearly still some way to go to deliver a world-class education, to have every child reaching the standards we would like them to reach Schools Secretary Ed Balls
He said that under a Conservative government no more special schools would be closed down, and also promised "zero tolerance" of disruptive pupils.
He said that under a Conservative government no more special schools would be closed down, and also promised "zero tolerance" of disruptive pupils.
He has already said schools should have the final say on whether pupils should be expelled, not local educational authorities.
He has already said schools should have the final say on whether pupils should be expelled, not local educational authorities.
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis told BBC News 24 that the Tory proposals were about "changing the balance of power in the classroom".
A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families strongly denied Mr Cameron's claim many primary school leavers could not read or write properly.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families strongly denied Mr Cameron's claim many primary school leavers could not read or write properly.
She said: "It is quite wrong to suggest that a child not achieving level 4 'cannot read' or has 'failed the three Rs'.
She said: "It is quite wrong to suggest that a child not achieving level 4 'cannot read' or has 'failed the three Rs'.
"Level 3 in the national curriculum is the standard at which children have effective English and maths skills."
"Level 3 in the national curriculum is the standard at which children have effective English and maths skills."
Meanwhile, Schools Secretary Ed Balls admitted progress in schools had stalled in the past year.
Meanwhile, Schools Secretary Ed Balls admitted progress in schools had stalled in the past year.
Emphasis on teaching basics
Emphasis on teaching basics
"There is clearly still some way to go to deliver a world-class education, to have every child reaching the standards we would like them to reach," he told reporters.
"We have made a lot of progress over 10 years, but haven't made a lot of progress in the last year, so we have to push ahead on the agenda we have set out," he told reporters.
"We have made a lot of progress over 10 years, but haven't made a lot of progress in the last year, so we have to push ahead on the agenda we have set out."
On Monday he will send a letter to every primary and secondary school in England and Wales calling for a new emphasis on teaching the basics and improving discipline.
On Monday he will send a letter to every primary and secondary school in England and Wales calling for a new emphasis on teaching the basics and improving discipline.
He will also call for more to be done to help pupils lagging behind their classmates and to tackle indiscipline in the classroom.
Healthy lunches
Writing in the Sunday Mirror Mr Balls said: "Let's start the new term with a clear message that bullying and disruption will be not be tolerated."
Writing in the Sunday Mirror Mr Balls said: "Let's start the new term with a clear message that bullying and disruption will be not be tolerated."
In a separate initiative at the start of the new school year, Mr Balls announced a £150m fund for building new kitchens in schools.
In a separate initiative at the start of the new school year, Mr Balls announced a £150m fund for building new kitchens in schools.
The money, to be spent over the next three years, is to help schools develop new facilities. Money already exists for improvements on existing kitchens.
Mr Balls said the initiative would help the government's efforts to increase the take-up of free school meals among those entitled to them and encourage children to eat a healthy lunch.
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