A Liverpool MP has accused Tory Education Secretary Michael Gove of "having a problem" when it comes to encouraging teenagers to take-up a trade.
Labour MP Steve Rotheram branded Mr Gove "out of date and out of touch" when he proclaimed the success of the English baccalaureate (E-bac) exam programme in preparing pupils for work or higher education.
Questioning Mr Gove, in the House of Commons, Mr Rotheram said: "Labour Members believe that the E-bac might be for some, but certainly not for all.
"Some people are better suited to more vocational courses rather than purely academic routes. Why does the Secretary of State not believe in parity of esteem?"
Michael Gove told him: "I certainly do believe in parity of esteem. In particular, I think that we should esteem working-class students in the same way that we esteem those from other backgrounds.
"The fact that under the previous Government working-class students were too often denied the opportunity to study the academic subjects that would lead them to university is a contributory factor in the freezing of social mobility over the course of the past 15 years.
"A fatal flaw in this country’s approach to education is that we automatically assume that just because children come from poorer backgrounds, they cannot succeed academically.
"At last, under this coalition Government, that unhappy prejudice is being uprooted from the education system."
But writing in a his political blog the Walton MP hit back.
Mr Rotheram said: "Michael Gove, for me, sums up everything that is wrong about this government. He is out of date and subsequently out of touch.
"This is a man who thinks that in the 21st century it is more important for schools to be teaching classics (Latin and Greek) rather than ICT and design technology."
Rotheram went on to accuse Mr Gove of neglecting people from working class areas views, using Walton as an example.
He said his constituency is a place where school-leavers want to learn trades such as bricklaying rather than looking for work in museums. He also dismissed government policies and claimed the coalition government "has a problem with vocational courses".
Mr Rotheram added: "Jobs as electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and carpenters might not be the chosen profession of a millionaire's child, but they are noble professions in their own right and I'll not let anyone talk them down."
Rotheram continued the fighting talk by insisting that as he prepares to take a seat on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, he will insist on "being a constant reminder to Mr Gove of the responsibility he has to our children's education".
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