THE Education Secretary has been accused of “grossly distorting the facts” after he claimed schoolchildren in North Yorkshire were being failed by the system.

Furious council chiefs hit back at Michael Gove after he wrote to MPs asking for their help to encourage North Yorkshire County Council to turn underperforming schools into academies.

In the letter, Mr Gove claimed a significant number of the county’s primaries were rated as unsatisfactory by Ofsted or had performed below national standards for a number of years.

He said the system was failing successive cohorts of pupil, adding: “Without urgent and decisive action they will continue to be failed.”

The minister said one of the main barriers to progress was North Yorkshire County Council which until recently had failed to actively pursue academy status for its underperforming schools.

He added: “In addition, the school has not encouraged its stronger schools to convert and take on a sponsor role within the authority.

“Only nine secondary schools in North Yorkshire have applied to convert for example.

“The number of primary schools is even lower with only one school open as an academy.”

However, county councillor Arthur Barker, executive member for schools, today (Thursday, November 8) hit back at the minister, saying the number of schools deemed unsatisfactory in the county’s was much smaller than in comparable areas.

He added: “It is a gross distortion of the facts to assert that the system in North Yorkshire is failing its pupils.

“Performance in the county for pupils attaining five A* to C including English and maths at GCSE in 2012 placed it 14th out of all local authorities nationally.”

Mr Barker said the small number of primary schools where improvement had been slow were those in challenging circumstances.

“Ironically, their improvement is being assisted by improved funding, something which the Department for Education’s enforced review of school funding now places at risk,” he added.

Mr Barker said the council viewed academy status as a matter best judged by individual schools.

The nine schools in North Yorkshire which are either in special measures or under notice to improve include Colburn, Pickhill, Kirkby Fleetham and Bullamoor, which is due to be closed by the council shortly.