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The Government's "free schools" will be able to employ unqualified teachers, ministers have admitted.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has said the new schools will be able to take on "brilliant people" regardless of whether they have been in classrooms before.

But furious teaching unions accused him of undermining the profession.

Mr Gove told MPs: "We want the dynamism that characterises the best independent schools to drive up standards.

"In this spirit we will not be setting overly prescriptive requirements in relation to qualifications.

"Instead we will expect business cases to demonstrate how governing bodies intend to guarantee the highest quality of teaching and leadership." But Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "The NUT believes children deserve to be taught by qualified teachers.

"If the department decides free schools do not have to employ qualified teachers it is a dereliction of their duties."

And Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "Is he going to extend his ideas to other professions and encourage hospitals to employ brilliant people without any medical qualifications? Brilliance is only an advantage if the teacher can teach."

Mr Gove also came under fire for suggesting the schools could be set up in undertakers, bingo halls and takeaways.

Opponents of the ConDem plan to allow parents to set up schools say it will create a two-tier education system.

Teaching in half of England's secondary schools is no better than satisfactory, watchdog Ofsted claimed yesterday.