UNDER-fire Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has spoken exclusively to the Bolton Evening News website ahead of the Commons statement on Thursday that could make or break her political career.

The Bolton West MP will reveal in the Commons the number of convicted paedophiles she has cleared to work in schools since becoming Education Secretary. She will also set out a list of changes she plans.

But before her statement in the Commons she told the Bolton Evening News: "I completely understand why there is such public concern about this issue.

"It is vital that parents feel confident their children are secure in our schools and have confidence in the system to protect them.

"As a Government, we have already done a lot to tighten the system. This includes the introduction of the Sex Offender Register in 1997 and Criminal Record Bureau checks in 2002, providing important new protections for schools and pupils.

"It is true, however, that in my department we are dealing with a system that dates back decades and has been used by politicians on both side of the political divide to take decisions about complex issues.

"It has already been improved but I have made clear we must go much further and modernise it as a matter of priority. That is why I have spent the last week looking calmly and methodically at all the issues and I will update Parliament today.

"I am committed to rooting out the abuses that damage public confidence and to act in the short-term.

"I have also secured Parliamentary time for new legislation in February to introduce a vastly improved vetting and barring system in the medium-term. But let's be clear, if I need to go even further I will not hesitate. The protection of children has to be our number one priority."

Both Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown earlier defended her despite reports that the Department for Education was warned of flaws in vetting procedures before the storm broke over sex offenders working in schools.

On Tuesday night, it emerged that a deputy head teacher who resigned after being investigated over allegations of "inappropriate behaviour" was able to work again, despite concerns voiced to education officials.

Despite calls for her to be sacked, Mr Blair said that he "absolutely" had confidence in Ms Kelly.

In a television interview earlier, Mr Brown was asked if Ms Kelly still had his support. The Chancellor said: "Of course she does."

He added: "It is one of the most difficult jobs, to be Education Secretary. She has done it very well indeed."

In another exclusive interview with the Bolton Evening News, Ms Kelly said: "The Prime Minister has been fantastic. I've spoken to him personally and he has offered me his full support. We get on very well.

"There's an important job to do here and we are both focused on getting it done.

"Child protection is my number one priority and I won't hesitate to tighten up the system further if that's what it takes to restore public confidence and put the interests of children first."

The latest case to come to light is that of former deputy head teacher Nigel Jackson, who was investigated by police and child protection agencies who decided there was not sufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution.

The deputy head allegedly resigned from his post at Seaford Head Community College in January 2004 after the allegations, and a month later the local authority, East Sussex County Council, reported the case to the Department for Education and Skills, according to ITV News.

But Jackson was reportedly able to find a teaching job in neighbouring West Sussex. His employment was only ended when officials learned of another investigation into the teacher, this time by officers in Northern Ireland.

At Londonderry Crown Court, Jackson pleaded guilty to the indecent assault on a girl of 14 and grooming her on the internet. He is awaiting sentence.

According to the Guardian newspaper, an internal policy briefing circulated in the Department for Education identified seven faults with the vetting system.

The newspaper said inconsistencies between lists - such as the sex offenders' register and List 99, the Education Department's own list of banned teachers - were highlighted in a briefing before Christmas.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the document had not been leaked and did not reveal anything that was not already in the public domain.

He also denied dealing with the furore had distracted the Education Secretary from the Government's education reforms, or that they had been delayed.

Ms Kelly had already been under pressure following opposition among Labour MPs to the reforms.

Downing Street denied reports that the reforms had been put back because of the furore.