Tributes have been paid to Sir Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector of schools who had motor neurone disease.
Sir Chris (68) led schools watchdog Ofsted from 1994 to 2000 – a tenure which included fierce clashes with teaching unions.
The former teacher resigned from his post as chief schools inspector after a series of rows with then-education secretary David Blunkett.
He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2006 and, in 2009, said he would rather kill himself than die in agony from the disease.
News of his death was confirmed yesterday morning and was followed by tributes from friends, colleagues and politicians.
Britain’s prime minister David Cameron tweeted: “Chris Woodhead started a crucial debate on school standards and reform. Meetings with him were never dull. My thoughts are with his family.”
Sir Chris once said that 4.2 per cent of the teaching profession was not up to the job, earning him angry attacks from teaching unions.
Last November he warned that schools must become more alert to the possible sex abuse of pupils by teachers.
After Sir Chris’s resignation in 2000, he went on to advise former Tory leader Michael Howard and worked as a columnist and author.
He was a Professor of Education at the private Buckingham University and founder of Cognita, a company running a group of private schools.
In July last year, Sir Chris told Sky News he might have to starve himself to death as his health deteriorates from MND and cancer.
“I think it would be far better if I could have my death assisted in a peaceful and dignified way so that my suffering wasn’t prolonged, and the suffering of those nearest and dearest to me wasn’t prolonged as they had to witness the slowness of my extinction,” he told Sky News.
