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Only 32 schools, out of more than 2000 that expressed interest would re-open as academies in time for the begining of the new school year. 110 schools are expected to join the initial group later on in the year.

Teachers unions called the Education Secretary's plans a failure while Michael Gove himself was encouraged. Majority of those re-opening as academies were "outstanding" schools or associatd with "outstanding schools". According to the education department, special schools would be allowed to become academies from next year.

The coalition government's flagship education policy is a clear failure, according to teaching unions.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said: "For a policy that was supposed to be a flagship change for education, it is something of a failure to have so few schools opening at this stage."

"The academies programme has simply not caught the imagination of school leaders, teachers and parents. This large scale rejection of academies indicates that schools do not see the benefits of such an unnecessary upheaval and wish to remain within the local, democratic family of schools.

"While there is no conclusive evidence that academies improve education, what we do know is that their lack of accountability and their draining of local authority education funding will have a dramatic impact on children and young people receiving the same standard of education regardless of the school's status."

The Government misjudged the situation opined Chris Keates, the general secretary of the NASWT referring to the low take up of schools.

Earlier, the government had pushed through the academies legislation amid complaints from MPs from all sides that it was not debated properly in the Houses of Parliament - and Mr. Gove, the Education Secretary announced soon after taking office that "academies" would be the norm in English education system.

""This Government believes that teachers and head teachers, not politicians and bureaucrats, should control schools and have more power over how they are run," Mr. Gove said today.

"That's why we are spreading academy freedoms. This will give heads more power to tackle disruptive children, to protect and reward teachers better, and to give children the specialist teaching they need."

While teaching unions have been very critical of the policy some headteachers have embraced the new policy and believe that this would improve school standards across the country.