Birmingham last night appeared to be heading for a clash with the Government after voting to oppose its controversial education reforms.
Ministers want to allow all secondary schools to become part of partly self-governing trusts able to set their own admissions criteria.
Trusts would consist of a variety of organisations including businesses, universities, charities and community groups, according to proposals in an education White Paper launched in October.
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But councillors unanimously agreed to a motion passed at a full meeting of the city council last night saying: "The council is concerned that the implementation of the education White Paper in its present form may have a detrimental impact on provision of education in Birmingham."
Specifically, the authority claimed trust schools would:
* Encourage an admissions "free for all"
* Undermine work undertaken in the city to create a fairer admissions system
* Encourage a surplus of of unnecessary additional school places
* Put pressure on successful schools to expand at the expense of neighbouring schools.
Councillors urged the city's MPs to make the authority's fears heard in Parliament.
Birmingham's deputy council leader Paul Tilsley (Lib Dem Sheldon) said: "We can't overturn what is in the White Paper.
"What we are trying to do is point out some of the problems. Having an admissions free for all won't help Birmingham schools because we already have a situation where popular schools are very over-subscribed." ..SUPL:
