GOVERNMENT plans to 'tinker' with the Isle of Wight's education system have been called 'alarming.'

'Levelling-up' hopes to give every child the skills they need to fulfil their potential, no matter where they live.

The Island has been identified as one of 55 'cold spots' where school outcomes are the weakest.

The plans aim to target investment, support and action, to help children from all backgrounds succeed.

The Department for Education says the Island will be prioritised for a new specialist 'sixth-form free school' and schools that have been judged below 'good' in successive Ofsted inspections could be moved into 'strong multi-academy trusts'.

There is also a 'levelling-up premium,' to improve teacher retention in high priority subjects.

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said he was delighted and argued it would be good for young people and important for the Island.

However, not everyone supports the move.

Education spokesperson for the Green Party, Vix Lowthion, a teacher, said she was 'frankly alarmed' by what was set out, calling it 'deeply worrying'.

She said: "It is more academisation, more elitism, more focus on high stakes tests at primary schools and nothing about overturning years of funding cuts in schools, smaller classes, creativity and accountability."

Ms Lowthion also raised a fear about the future viability of existing community sixth forms if a new one is opened.

Labour's Cllr Richard Quigley, the Isle of Wight Council's chair of education scrutiny, accused the Conservatives of causing the funding issues and he has called for more.

Peter Shreeve, the assistant district secretary of the National Education Union on the Island, said many of the areas now targeted for support have been among the hardest hit by education cuts in the last decade and what is promised will not be enough to make up for the past.

He said 'tinkering' with the system would not solve the ongoing problems on the Island, like insufficient pupil numbers, high special education needs and disabilities, lower wages or poverty.

Mr Shreeve said it had been tried before, with disappointing outcomes.

He said: "If this is to avoid becoming a 'mission impossible' we need a proper strategy across government to eradicate child poverty, because poverty strongly determines life chances and ambitions.”