In an online "manifesto", a coalition of politicians, academics and education officials calls for a radical reform of teaching under which principals could hire and fire staff according to the results achieved by pupils.

This free-market approach, in which the best teachers would receive "six-figure salaries" and the worst would be sacked, has been put forward by two Republican governors - Michigan's John Engler and Pennsylvania's Tom Ridge - and 50 educationalists, including state education commissioners and professors of education.

Teachers in the UK face a new system of appraisal linked to pay

But the proposals have been attacked by teacher training organisations, who argue that improving teacher training and raising professional standards is the way to secure more effective teaching in the classroom.

This call for linking pay to results comes as the Labour government in the United Kingdom faces bitter opposition from teachers' unions over its plans to introduce an element of performance-related pay.

The American policy document calls for a move away from the regulations surrounding entry into teaching and a greater emphasis on rewarding successful teachers.

"Get rid of most hoops and hurdles," it urges. "Instead of requiring a long list of courses and degrees, test future teachers for their knowledge and skills. Allow principals to hire the teachers they need. Focus relentlessly on results, on whether students are learning."

The document argues that a rigorous process of testing and monitoring would provide evidence of which teachers and teaching systems are working.

The signatories accuse the current system of failing to improve standards and bring enough new recruits into teaching.