A county council decision to exclude teachers from its revamped education committee is disgraceful, according to teacher unions.

Union representatives have criticised Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors on Oxfordshire County Council, for voting to exclude teacher representatives from its new Learning and Culture Scrutiny Committee.

The committee will replace the council's existing education committee on November 5 and means that, for the first time, teachers will not be represented on the county's main education forum.

The committee, which was approved by Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors, is one of five scrutiny committees set up under the new structure to monitor the executive and suggest policy.

It will include 15 councillors, representatives chosen by the Catholic and Anglican churches, and two parent governors.

A Labour amendment to include two non-voting teacher representatives was rejected, by 36 to 26 votes. Labour councillors wanted a primary and a secondary school teacher on the committee.

Mark Forder, deputy headteacher at Larkrise First School in Oxford and a spokesman for the National Union of Teachers, said: "We are naturally disappointed and feel it is an unwise position.

"How can you discuss learning meaningfully if you exclude all teachers?"

Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Fawcett, the executive member for learning and culture, said: "We will continue to provide a mechanism for teachers to have a direct input into policy making."