TASMANIA has declared war on Tony Abbott's bold plan to revolutionise the nation's public schools.

The Prime Minister wants to make schools more independent by giving principals and parents more control, in the first stage of a schools revolution.

But the state Liberals have distanced themselves from the plan and state Education Minister Nick McKim says it will not happen under his watch.

"It will set school against school, suburb against suburb and town against town," Mr McKim said yesterday.

"It really creates a two-tier system when our system should be all about equality."

Australian Education Union state president Terry Polglase said the policy "attempts to marginalise, demean and damage the public education brand".

Tasmanian Liberals education spokesman Michael Ferguson failed to back the plan yesterday.

"The Liberals will always work co-operatively with the Federal Government to get the best outcomes for our children," he said.

"But we have no plans to establish independent public schools, if elected."

Mr Abbott has restated his promise that 25 per cent of Australian public schools will be given more independence by handing greater responsibility to their school principals and parent-guided boards by 2017.

Mr Abbott's plan will give parents a greater say through school boards, which would set the strategic direction of a school in consultation with local communities and business leaders.

Mr Polglase yesterday said Mr Abbott and Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne had not properly consulted with public schools.

"Sir Henry Parkes, known as the 'Father of Public Education', would be turning in his grave with the Coalition's announcement that it intends to divide public schools and make inroads into 'privatising' the system," he said.

"Public schools will remain free, secular and compulsory but no longer will they be universal as Sir Henry envisaged them."

Mr McKim and Mr Polglase said the experience from other jurisdictions showed independent public school models did not work.

"They exist in Western Australia where 255, or two thirds of the schools, are 'independent'," Mr Polglase said.

"Studies show they do nothing to improve student outcomes.

"A recent position for a classroom teacher in Perth attracted over 250 applications as permanent tenure at the school would be possible.

"The downside to this was fewer teachers offer themselves to teach in outlying centres as opportunities to transfer back to the capital would decrease."

Mr McKim said it was unclear how the schools would be selected by the Commonwealth.

"But we do know that they will be treated preferentially compared to the rest of our public schools," he said.

matthew.smith@news.com.au

Originally published as Class warfare as plan fails test