Members of Britain's teachers unions and Labor Party were scandalized when the party's special advisor on education announced only a few days ago a radical solution for schools that aren't performing well: private management.

• Private firms are being invited to take part in creating 25 "education action zones" -- each with about 20 schools -- in areas where pupils do badly.

• Each zone will be controlled by a committee of parents, teachers, councilors and businesses.

• But private firms will actually be allowed to take over the running of the schools and not just provide support services.

• Schools in the action zones may be allowed to drop both the national curriculum and the national agreement on teachers' pay and conditions.

Several firms have reportedly expressed interest in running the schools -- including banks and insurance firms, as well as those already in education.

As recently as the last decade, the Labor Party had promised to abolish private education.