Knight: Improving schools means more options for parents

Schools minister Jim Knight has defended the government's record on school choice, arguing the problem is mitigated by improvements in state schools' overall standards.

Mr Knight claimed "parents have more options" because there are "more good and improving schools" across England.

His comments came in response to figures showing around one in five parents could not get their child into their first-choice school, a development the Conservatives say means the idea of school choice is a "myth".

Mr Knight dismissed such claims as "absurd", saying: "There will always be popular oversubscribed schools – with more applications than places.

"Instead of leaving poor performing schools to continue failing their pupils, we want to turn every school into a good school."