GCSE results highlight twin crisis in education - Laws

“It is a shocking indictment of the Government that around half of all pupils cannot get five good GCSEs including English and maths after over a decade of formal education," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Schools Secretary. Commenting on today’s GCSE results, David Laws said:

“Today’s results reflect a huge amount of work by many pupils and schools, and I would like to congratulate everyone who has worked hard and achieved good grades.

“However, today’s statistics also highlight the twin crisis in education - too many pupils failing to get good results and a lack of confidence in standards.

“It is a shocking indictment of the Government that around half of all pupils cannot get five good GCSEs including English and maths after over a decade of formal education. In the poorest areas, up to 70% of children fail to achieve this standard. These children are the ones who will now struggle to find jobs, and risk ending up as long term unemployed.

“We need to cut class sizes in primary schools and introduce a Pupil Premium to target resources more effectively at those children who are falling behind.

“The second big problem in education is the lack of public confidence in exam standards and qualifications. As a consequence, some schools are considering shunning GCSEs, and the Government’s complex Diploma looks like an expensive flop.

“The Government needs to introduce a truly independent Educational Standards Authority to act as a credible standards watchdog, and its first duty should be to review the change in exam results since GCSEs were introduced. Meanwhile, the Government should introduce a new General Diploma, allowing children to mix both academic and vocational qualifications.”