ONE FIFTH OF STUDENTS WITH 5 GCSE PASSES FAIL TO PASS MATHS AND ENGLISH

3.02.58pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 23rd Feb 2005

A fifth of the students currently recorded as having obtained 5 A-C Grade GCSE passes have not passed English or Maths.

The admission came from Ruth Kelly MP, the new Secretary of State for Education, responding to a question from David Rendel MP in the House of Commons this afternoon.

The Secretary of State had just announced "a new diploma to recognise the achievement of those who achieve 5 good GCSEs or equivalent - including English and Maths."

Commenting, Mr Rendel said:

"The Government often quotes an increasing proportion of students obtaining 5 A to C grade GCSEs as evidence of higher standards. But today I forced them to admit that a fifth of these young people would not have met the standard required for this new diploma. We have much further to go in raising standards in basic subjects than Ministers have previously acknowledged."

ENDS