WELSH Labour’s education minister, Huw Lewis, told thetook centre stage at the NASUWT National Conference on Sunday and said the General Election in May would mark a key moment for schools across the country.

Speaking to delegates in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, he said the election was a choice between two different visions for education, one built on "fragmentation, free markets and free schools" and another built on professional respect, professional development and higher standards in the classroom.

Praising the work done by Schools Challenge Cymru that was begun in summer 2014, the minister said the £20m programme running in 40 schools in Wales was symbolic of the different vision for schools being built in Wales.

He hit out at the coalition government for scrapping Labour’s successful ‘London Challenge’ after coming to power in 2010.

Mr Lewis said: “The Prime Minister’s election promise to build another 500 Free Schools across England demonstrates that if the Conservatives win in May, there will be no let up in the fragmentation and free market ethos that has dominated education thinking over the border.

“In Wales, we are building an alternative, world-class vision for our schools. “What the £20m Schools a Challenge Cymru programme has given us is a window into the sort of alternative model of a positive, self-improving system that isn’t based on cutthroat competition and selection by postcode.”

But Welsh Conservative shadow minister for communities Mark Isherwood AM previously criticised Labour for not doing enough to combat child poverty, including in their education strategy.

He said: “Labour’s criticism of UK government work in this area – on the eve of the General election - is both hypocritical and shameful. What we need is for Labour to ditch the rhetoric and provide results.

“Ministers consistently ignore Welsh Conservative calls for action to close the gap with England on GCSE performance amongst pupils receiving free school meals.”