EDUCATION chiefs in Worcestershire have been criticised for failing to pass on enough cash direct to headteachers.

The Government has set a target for education authorities to pass 85 per cent of their annual budgets through to schools.

But the county council's education department has only achieved 83.7 per cent.

The Government said it was one of only a "tiny handful" to have failed to meet the target.

Schools Minister Stephen Timms said the local education authority must "make up the lost ground as soon as possible."

He warned next year the target was to be lifted to 87 per cent, adding: "It's imperative the increased funding this Government has provided for schools gets through."

Worcester Labour MP Mike Foster backed the Minister.

"It's possible authorities like Worcestershire - which has a lot of rural schools - will have to spend more on things such as transport," he said.

"But the LEA will have to give good reasons why they haven't met the target.

"It's going to get even tougher next year and the LEA has got some work to do."

Mid-Worcestershire Conservative MP Peter Luff said he wanted the council to increase delegation to schools.

"The more money schools and their teachers and pupils get, and the less that's spent on red tape, the happier I'll be," he said. "The Government's right to be publishing this information and asking for improvements."

But Julien Kramer, Worcestershire's director of education, said failing to meet the target "wasn't a problem".

"Headteachers tell us they'd rather have more money than have more delegation, as this year we received £8m less than the average county council," he said.

"Well-run authorities aren't those that delegate lots of money anyway, as it's wise to have some funds held back to cope with problems such as the roof at Perdiswell Primary.

"We'll reach the figure next year, by allowing schools to 'buy back' services that traditionally we provide."