The phrase "a harsh attack on" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a strong criticism or condemnation directed at a person, idea, or action.
Example: "The article was a harsh attack on the government's handling of the crisis, highlighting numerous failures and missteps."
Alternatives: "a severe criticism of" or "a scathing rebuke of".
However, the jump to a harsh attack on established schools of education was both misguided and shocking.
Senator John McCain delivered a harsh attack on Vietnam's Communist government while there on a private visit.
In mid-August, Mr. Mbeki devoted his weekly Internet essay to a harsh attack on Ms. Madlala-Routledge, calling her a "lone ranger" who willfully ignored orders.
For the second time in two days, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani seized on the Elian Gonzalez case yesterday to mount a harsh attack on President Clinton.
On a private visit here, Senator John McCain mounted a harsh attack on Vietnam's Communist government for everything from its ideology and economy to its corruption and the fact that it displays the hammer and sickle on its banners.
Before Mr. Khatami traveled to New York last month for the United Nations General Assembly, for example, Iran's supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered a harsh attack on those calling for closer ties with the United States, saying anyone who did so was unfit to hold office.
Taking his presidential campaign to a stronghold of Christian conservatism, Senator John McCain of Arizona delivered a harsh attack today on the "self-appointed leaders" of the religious right, depicting them as intolerant empire builders who "have turned good causes into businesses" while trying to exclude all but "card-carrying Republicans" from the party.
"A harsh attack is going on and it's not a fair attack," Lesun said.
In a particularly harsh attack on Tuesday, Mr. Perry compared Mr. Romney's firm to "vultures" that tear companies apart, fire people and leave the "skeleton" behind.
Mr. Carter offered a particularly harsh attack on Mr. Bush, notwithstanding what Democrats had said was their intention to minimize the attacks on the president here.
"Weekend Update" let BuzzFeed have it in a surprisingly harsh attack on "Saturday Night Live" for what Colin Jost slammed as "fake news".
