Teachers are fighting the education secretary, Alan Johnson, over his plans to force teenagers to study classic authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

Mr Johnson announced 10 days ago that 11 to 14-year-olds must study the classic writers of English literature as part of a reformed school curriculum.

But teachers' associations said authors like Dickens and George Eliot were too difficult for the age group and accused Mr Johnson of using the issue to win popularity in middle England.

The National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) pledged to support teachers who put their professional judgment ahead of Mr Johnson's requirements and refuse to teach these writers.

The director of NATE, Ian McNeilly, said: "Alan Johnson needs to be questioned over whether this is an informed decision. I suspect it is not.

"It is obviously what he regards as an easy vote-winning initiative to appease middle England, who assume, quite wrongly, that the curriculum is 'dumbed down' if 11-year-olds are not ploughing through Jude the Obscure.

"It is a complete fallacy. Forcing children and teachers to study texts that are inappropriate is deeply counter-productive.

"It puts students off the text, the author and the subject and it doesn't do anything for their self-esteem."

Mr McNeilly said NATE would "always" support teachers who felt Mr Johnson's list of classic writers were not appropriate for their pupils and refused to teach them.

"Most teachers are decent, law-abiding people who will probably find ways to do what the government tell them to do," he said.

"But they will rely on their professional judgment and if that means that they feel it's inappropriate to teach certain texts to certain students then that may not get done."

The English Association said many of Mr Johnson's prescribed classic authors were simply too difficult for pupils as young as 11.

Ian Brinton, chair of the English Association's secondary committee, told the Times Educational Supplement he would be "stunned if any of these writers are taught".

"It is a politically correct statement which does not reflect the reality in the classroom," he said.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Brinton went on: "It seems remarkably easy for politicians to give a sense of what should be taught in the classroom.

"But they are not trained teachers and they actually don't know an awful lot about what is going on.

"The teaching of the classics is in some ways not appropriate."

Many young pupils will be put off great writers by being forced to study thick novels such as Bleak House or the dense and complex prose style of George Eliot, he said.

"I do wonder how many people who make decisions like that actually read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and others.

"I wonder how much Alan Johnson reads them. I just don't know," Mr Brinton said.

The Government defended Mr Johnson's decision to make certain classic writers "untouchable" parts of the school curriculum for 11 to 14-year-olds.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "There are certain untouchable elements of the secondary curriculum that all teenagers should learn for a classic, well-rounded British education.

"For example, it's vital that teachers instil a love of literature in young people and engage them with the best-loved writers from our history.

"Understanding how language works and being able to express oneself creatively and clearly is crucial in every walk of life.

"The new curriculum will protect our educational heritage while creating a modern curriculum that empowers teachers and interests children."

Under the new curriculum plans, which were announced for consultation earlier this month, pupils will continue to study Shakespeare plays and sonnets as well as classics by pre-20th century authors including Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and George Eliot.