The Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches have been particularly angered by plans, still under consultation, to dispense with the parental ballot in the procedure for voluntary-aided schools opting out. The proposals are likely to form part of a new education Bill in the next parliamentary session.

This week the Church of England’s Board of Education described the fast track as “a disaster” in which weak and unsuitable governing bodies could find themselves pushed towards grant maintained status without the protection of a parental vote.

It also attacked the idea of special treatment which would give the impression that the Church does not value parents or that it is looking for privilege.

In a statement made through the Catholic Education Service, the Catholic Bishops said that ministers are wrong to pick out voluntary-aided schools. Others, they said, could suffer.

“The cost of establishing new self-governing schools, if taken from the main education budget would mean less funding for other maintained schools and would exacerbate the present under-resourcing of education.

“We fail to see any justification for the suggestion in these proposals that the parents of children in voluntary-aided schools should be singled out to lose the right to ballot on the issue of GM status. This is discriminatory and divisive.”

The Anglican Board of Education said that the “fast track” is an attempt to breathe life into a failed policy and it called on ministers to legislate for all schools rather than pick on a few.

“The Board maintains that, if it wishes the system to change substantially in the grant-maintained direction, the Government should legislate to this effect for all schools.”

Both Anglican and Catholic Churches were at pains to remain neutral on the wider question of grant-maintained status. A substantial number of their schools have opted out and the bishops are unwilling to alienate parents or teachers. Indeed in the case of the Catholic church a small number of Bishops is thought to have backed GM status in private.

There are 2,300 Catholic voluntary-aided schools of which 130 have opted out. The Church of England has 2,030 aided schools and 2,845 voluntary-controlled schools - which have an Anglican trust deed but enjoy a closer relationship with local education authorities. To date 138 Anglican schools have taken GM status. The Government’s latest proposals do not affect voluntary-controlled schools.

Ministers are expecting that the “fast track” will meet serious opposition in the House of Lords whose benches include a number of influential bishops. The appointment of Canon Peter Pilkington, former High Master of St Paul’s School to the Conservative benches in the Lords may be calculated to strengthen the Government hand.

Although no reference was made to grant-maintained schools in the Queen’s speech, Church sources are confident that a Bill will emerge.