Michael Gove lists the schools that could become academies by September

The names of 1,700 schools that have asked the government about becoming academies was published by the department for education today. The list is divided into those rated oustanding - who can apply for fast-track academy status that will let them convert by the start of the September term - and all the others who have expressed an interest . It was published after ministers came under pressure from unions and anti-academy campaigners, who requested the information under Freedom of Information (FoI) laws. They had said there was concern that staff and parents were being left in the dark, and not making the names public would show an "undemocratic" lack of openness and transparency. Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said: "It is outrageous that it has taken pressure from unions and parent groups to get the government to publish a list of schools expressing an interest in academy status. Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), accused the government of trying to keep a "cloak of secrecy" over its academies programme. Shortly after taking office the education secretary, Michael Gove, wrote to all schools in England inviting them to apply to become academies. The move means opting out of local authority control and being given funding directly, including the extra money usually given to the local council to provide educational services. Some 870 of the schools that have so far expressed an interested are judged outstanding by the watchdog, Ofsted. Gove has not revealed how many have actually applied to change their status.