AN MP chosen to chair an influential Conservative backbench education committee has been mocked by teaching union bosses.

Caroline Ansell describes herself as a former teacher, but David Brinson, secretary of the East Sussex National Union of Teachers, pointed out she has not taught at a state school, only at private ones.

The Argus reported on Wednesday that the Eastbourne MP will chair The 1922 Education Committee - a conduit between MPs and new education secretary Justine Greening to advise and formulate manifesto pledges before the next general election.

The MP said the appointment was a great honour and she intends to bring her experience to shape future policy that will improve standards in education.

Mr Brinson publicly ridiculed Ms Ansell when teachers went on strike earlier this month, asking striking colleagues at a rally in Eastbourne if anyone had worked with her in the past.

He said: "I haven't met many teachers who have worked with her...answers on a postcard please."

He later added: "Caroline Ansell fought a general election campaign where at almost every opportunity she would style herself as a teacher.

"This caused some mirth in Eastbourne's staff rooms at the time, given that it was widely known it had been some years since she had actually been a serving class teacher.

"Caroline taught almost exclusively in the fee-paying sector and had certainly not taught in a state school under the Coalition government.

"She had not therefore experienced the devastating effects of cuts, the fiasco over GCSEs and early years assessment, the spurious and meaningless paperwork reported by the DfE which seemingly changed by the day, and the continued demoralising and poisonous attacks on the profession by erstwhile education secretary Michael Gove.

"I would hope she will still talk to actual serving teachers to get a fuller picture of the situation as it is today."

It transpires that Ms Ansell taught at the now-closed private Newlands School in Seaford between 1994 and 2005, and also at Great Walstead School, Haywards Heath, an independent prep school, between 2005-07.

She worked at Cavendish School in Eastbourne with a support staff role in 2008 and is also an ISI (Independent Schools) Inspector since 2003.

Her last inspection was April 2015.

Ms Ansell said she is looking forward to her new role.

She said: "I will be meeting with the education minister very soon to discuss these issues. Justine knows Eastbourne after visiting Ocklynge Junior School last year when she was international development secretary and I know she is passionate about education.

"It’s an ongoing campaign of mine to ensure all our young people get the best start in life and I very much hope I can now have influence over the direction of education policy in the years to come."