David Blunkett it set to pledge the creation of jobs for thousands of extra classroom assistants today, but will reject teachers unions calls for a 35 hour week.

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, Blunkett is expected to announce plans that will include a further 800 mentors working with children in danger of being excluded from school.

The plans aim to reduce time spent by teachers on administrative tasks, however it looks likely that the pledges will not satisfy teachers' demands for a wide-ranging investigation into pay and conditions.