A plan to sack one in four Public Servants in the United Kingdom Department of Education has been proposed as a way of making its processes work faster.

The suggestion came in an internal review by the Department which criticised the Public Service’s “slow and laborious” working style.

When 25 per cent of the staff were gone, the report said, the remainder would focus “ruthlessly” on Ministers’ priorities.

It said that if the plan was implemented, 1,000 staff would be made redundant and the Department would cut its running costs by 50 per cent, while at the same time ending the “overly collegiate” way that officials made decisions.

The plan said that instead of clearing all policies through multiple layers of management, Ministers would be personally involved much earlier in the process.

Permanent Secretary at the Department, Chris Wormald admitted changing the culture would be “difficult and challenging” and would require “some tough steps”.

Shadow Education Secretary for the Opposition Labour Party, Stephen Twigg said the plan suggested that certain work that wasn’t a Ministerial priority would stop, raising the prospect that programs and services would be axed.

Mr Twigg called on Education Secretary, Michael Gove to explain what the changes would mean to parents, in particular whether child care would be compromised.

The First Division Association, representing senior Public Servants, said it was deeply concerned by the proposed staff cuts.