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Local authorities will no longer provide education under measures outlined in the Education White Paper, published by the Department of Education and Skills today.

Instead they will become commissioners and all new schools will become self-governing. They will develop as an academy, trust, foundation or voluntary aided school with support from “external providers”.

A national schools commissioner will be appointed to work with local authorities, who will be responsible for matching schools and new partners and taking action where parental choices are frustrated.

Parent power is a major theme of the white paper, which says parents should have more influence over how their child’s school is run and a say on issues such as meals and uniform.

But parent contracts and orders will be extended for use against those whose children are badly behaved and they will be expected to take responsibility for excluded students in the first five days of their suspension.

Parents’ who have a child who is excluded from school who is then found unsupervised during school hours will be fined.