Education secretary Charles Clarke was last night under fire after he vowed to "take out" failing head teachers.

In an interview with the Press Association the education secretary vowed to tackle poor teaching and school management.

"Where the issue is the head's the problem, they must not be allowed just to go along," he said. "The head must be taken out or heads of department moved."

Forum Response: ATL

Gwen Evans, ATL joint acting general secretary, told ePolitix.com: "Gung-ho Charles Clarke seems to be living in a different world than that of the struggling inner-city school. What he should be saying is how is he going to do to support them. His solution in human resources terms is a disaster.

"Would schools have the right to say that politicians are the Weakest Link - Goodbye? By Charles Clarke playing this game makes good headlines but lousy policy.

"The government should be asking to what extent are the problems that exist within the education system to do with the long-term under-finance ofsuccessive governments?"