EDUCATION Secretary Charles Clarke has hardly covered himself in glory since he succeeded Estelle Morris as one of Prime Minister Tony Blair's key Cabinet members.

While the initial political goading was inevitable, the key thing for parents of English and Welsh students was how he would improve a vital but crisis-hit part of our lives.

He began by doing himself no favours in announcing that, while 2004 would see grants worth up to £1,000 reintroduced, fees would treble to £3,000 a year after the next General Election. Like millions of parents, we were far from impressed.

His recent accusation that local authorities have diverted £500m meant for classrooms leaves us equally non-plussed.

While insisting his interest must not be taken as "naming and shaming", the way in which he voiced his concern hardly came across as a polite enquiry, far less a niggle.

Neither was the finger-pointing warning that he would produce a list of authorities and the sums concerned.

It brought fury from LEAs and counter-accusations that the Government was short-changing schools.

Today, Worcestershire County Council reveals that the £3.7m alleged to be missing in its accounts isn't missing at all. It's in budgets allocated over the the next financial year.

This comes at a time when the county's still bottom of the league table for education funding. It's a bit rich.

Mid-Worcestershire Tory MP Peter Luff has accused Mr Clarke of attempting to shift the blame for his own failings - and, from where we see it, it's hard to argue against.