Although the House and Senate had passed similar versions of Bush’s proposed reform plan, the Senate, controlled by Democrats, wanted to allocate half as much money again as the House, which remains in Republican hands. Even the lower number would have been 50 per cent higher than what the government now spends.

Negotiations have resumed to resolve the differences. But now that billions of dollars have been quickly allocated for everything from military action to airline subsidies, law-makers warn that there will be far less cash for schools. Full story www.tes.co.uk