By Sean Coughlan BBC News Online education staff

Teacher shortages, over-intrusive education secretaries and an unhealthy obsession with targets and initiatives have been the hallmarks of Labour's education policies, says the shadow education secretary, Damian Green.

At the milestone of Labour's fifth anniversary of entering office, Mr Green says the government has failed to achieve the promised improvements in schools.

After five years, staff shortages mean that schools cannot guarantee to have teachers in front of classes

Damian Green

"Parents are questioning the much-trumpeted improvements. Standards have stalled and teachers are demoralised.

"Estelle Morris's characteristic phrase is 'I'm not complacent about this'. But the underlying truth is that there is complacency.

"After five years, staff shortages mean that schools cannot guarantee to have teachers in front of classes," he says.

And he says the education secretary must be worried at the "profound disillusionment of teachers", aggravated by rigid rules for classroom life from central government.

Schools policy has been laid down like a pre-war car production line, he says.

"You can have any colour you like, as long as it's black. That's not the way that the best organisations work."

Funding increase

On funding, he concedes that there has been an increase in money from the Department for Education and Skills.

But he says this has been tied to initiatives which have increased the role of central government.

And such initiatives have been "over-sold", he said, resulting in a growing cynicism about re-announcements and the spinning of figures.

Mr Green was surprised that New Labour kept Chris Woodhead on as chief inspector

In secondary schools, he says there has been a "long-term failure" in finding ways to engage pupils who have lost interest in academic work.

The proposals for reforming education for 14 to 19 year olds has been a "huge disappointment", he said.

But Labour's legacy would not all be swept away by an incoming Conservative administration.

The literacy hour and numeracy strategy would be likely to stay, he suggests - although he indicates that they might be made optional, allowing schools to use other approaches.

On Labour's reduction in infant class sizes, he says parents clearly prefer smaller classes, but he is uncertain over whether such limits should be obligatory.

The biggest surprise of Labour's first term, he says, was the decision to keep Chris Woodhead as chief inspector of England's schools.

But the biggest problem lying ahead for education ministers, he predicts, will be the continuing struggle to recruit teachers.