A Coalition backbencher has criticised the "soothing" approach to school reforms being adopted by the government, arguing teachers should spend eight hours at work each day, get just four weeks' annual leave, and should not be marking or doing class preparation at home.

Prominent Queensland MP Andrew Laming has also said the expert brought in to advise successive governments, businessman David Gonski, had ducked these "industrial" rigidities in order to avoid "World War III" with teachers’ unions.

Dr Laming even suggested Mr Gonski told governments what they wanted to hear, meaning he told Labor how much extra money could be ploughed in and then told the Coalition how it could be spent.

But he said Mr Gonski had ignored the critical area of longstanding formal and informal work arrangements of teachers including excessive holiday periods which mirrored those of the children they teach.