Education criticism politically motivated, says Lewis
Education debate shut down in Wales, Stephen Crabb claims
(about 5 hours later)
A politically motivated attack is being staged by the Conservatives on Labour over schools, the education minister has said.
Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb has defended his criticism of schools in Wales, claiming the debate over education is being "shut down".
Huw Lewis accused the Tories of trying to "build a bogey" out of public services in Wales.
He said he was simply being "ambitious" for Wales in wanting to improve school standards.
Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb told the Sunday Times that parents in England would have "good reason to feel very concerned" if Ed Miliband took the Welsh government's approach to schools.
Education Minister Huw Lewis accused him of trying to "frighten gullible voters" with stories of "dysfunctional" public services in Wales.
It follows a bitter row over health.
Labour and the Tories have previously waged a bitter row over health.
'Disreputable'
'Dishonourable'
"Stephen Crabb is meant to be Wales' voice round the cabinet table... with friends like that Wales doesn't need enemies," Mr Lewis told BBC Radio Wales on Monday.
"Stephen Crabb is meant to be Wales' voice round the cabinet table... with friends like that Wales doesn't need enemies," Mr Lewis told BBC Wales on Monday.
He said the Tories were trying to "frighten the gullible" to win votes in England.
"It's dishonourable, disreputable and the Welsh public can see right through this stuff."
"It's dishonourable, disreputable and the Welsh public can see right through this stuff."
However, Monmouth Conservative MP David Davies said Labour had done "very badly" in education in Wales.
In response, Mr Crabb said: "Education in Wales used to be held up as a beacon of excellence.
"Wales lags not just behind England but behind the whole of the developed world - we know that we don't get as many pupils into Oxbridge proportionately as England does," he said.
"We can get back to that place - we need to be ambitious for learning and education, and be ambitious for our economy."
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats claimed plans for education spending in England by the Conservatives could mean bigger cuts for the Welsh government.
Analysis by Arwyn Jones, BBC Wales education correspondent
This is the first time since devolution we go into a UK general election campaign with different political parties defending their record on education either end of the M4.
If you look at GCSE results over that time, the gap between Wales and England widens, with the latter coming out on top.
But over the past two years Wales has been catching up.
Looking at the proportion of pupils gaining 5 good GCSE grades, Wales is now just 1.4% behind England.
Stephen Crabb says Ed Miliband would "turn back the clock" on education.
But all the main education policy divergences between Wales and England occurred when Labour was in power at both a Welsh and UK government level.
It isn't a difference between Labour and Conservative as such - rather a difference between Labour in Wales and whoever runs schools in England.
