Shadow Education Minister Neil O'Brien has branded Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill "a piece of vandalism" as MPs gather to debate the controversial legislation today.
The bill faces scrutiny in Parliament with several contentious reforms on the table.
O'Brien's comments come as he reacted to criticism from former Ofsted head Amanda Spielman, who claimed the bill prioritises trade union interests over children.
MPs will discuss major changes to the education system including forcing academies to teach the national curriculum for the first time.
Shadow Education Minister Neil O'Brien branded the Bill "a piece of vandalism"
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Speaking to GB News, O'Brien said: "Amanda Spielman is far from the only person who's spent her life in education and is incredibly worried about the Schools Bill, which really is a piece of vandalism."
"It's undoing the cross-party reforms of the last 30 or 40 years, which started with Mrs Thatcher and have continued ever since.
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“Those reforms have worked. In England, schools have gone up the international league tables, where they've done things differently.
“In Labour-run Wales and in Scotland, they've gone down the international league tables, and now Bridget [Phillipson] is bringing the same ideas, the same failed ideas, to England as well, taking away school freedoms, taking away accountability too, and taking away the mechanisms that have led us to quickly intervene when schools need to be turned around.
“It's so depressing that she is pushing all this stuff through, and she should be asking yourself, why are so many teachers, why so many leaders of schools desperately worried about this bill that we're passing?
“There's no sign of any reflection on why so many teachers are against this.”
The bill proposes significant changes to academy schools, which would be required to teach the national curriculum for the first time.
It would also strip academies of their power to recruit expert teachers without official qualifications.
Local councils would gain expanded authority to open all types of schools, not just academies.
These reforms follow a Curriculum and Assessment Review, after which Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson plans to develop a "reformed curriculum" for all state schools.
The spokesman added that the reforms "will get high-quality teachers into every classroom"
PAA Department for Education spokesman said: "Our landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill alongside our new regional improvement teams and Ofsted reforms delivers on our mission for every child to have a good, local school."
The spokesman added that the reforms "will get high-quality teachers into every classroom."
They also stated the changes would "ensure that all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best talent."
