A-levels are simply too narrow - Lib Dem Shadow Education Secretary, Sarah Teather MP

2.00.42pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 17th Aug 2006

We need a mix of academic learning with skills training - Sarah Teather

Almost a quarter of A-level entries were awarded the top grade this year, results published on Thursday show. Pupils and teachers have worked extremely hard for these results and deserve to celebrate. Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary, Sarah Teather MP said "The annual carping of backward-looking commentators who always want to claim standards were better 'back in their day' is unproductive and frankly boring."

Ms. Teather went on to say "But progress isn't simply about improving upon past results. Education must be relevant to the world in which these young people will be living in the decades to come. A-levels are simply too narrow in scope: they don't stretch the brightest pupils and they don't permit a mix of academic learning with skills training. Ministers have shown political cowardice by not embracing real reform and replacing A-levels with a secondary diploma."

The proportion of entries given an A was 24.1%, up 1.3 on last year, said the Joint Council for Qualifications. The overall A-level pass rate rose for the 24th year, by 0.4 to 96.6%. There were markedly more entries for maths. Girls outperformed boys in every major subject apart from modern foreign languages, according to the joint council (JCQ), which is the umbrella body for the main exam boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.