Business leaders reject academic diplomas plan

Company bosses have dealt a blow to the credibility of the Government's new diplomas, urging ministers to improve GCSEs and A-levels instead.

The Confederation of British Industry said today that the extension of the diploma to cover academic as well as vocational subjects was unnecessary.

It warned the plans could create a "two-tier" system in which private schools entered their pupils for GCSEs and A - leve l s , o r t h e International Baccalaureate, while children in comprehensives studied for diplomas.

The CBI's intervention, in a submission to the Government on the future of exams, dismayed ministers.

CBI director general Richard Lambert stressed it still supported the original vocational diplomas as a new way of giving school leavers the skills required by employers.

But he said the planned introduction by Schools Secretary Ed Balls of extra academic diplomas in sciences, languages and humanities - clearly intended to entice successful academic-schools - should be scrapped. Mr Lambert said: "Employers understand and value GCSEs and A-levels and firmly believe these should remain a cornerstone of the education system.

"Introducing a range of science, humanities or languages diplomas runs the risk of undermining the integrity of these traditional academic subjects. And they could also be a distraction from the need to raise the numbers of young people studying science and maths."

The CBI also called for a simplification of the diploma structure so that there was one for 14- to 16-year-olds and one for 16- to 18-year-olds.

Mr Balls has moved to strengthen A-levels by introducing tougher questions from September.

Also this autumn a new top grade, the A*, is being added to enable universities and businesses to distinguish the brightest candidates. But Mr Balls has also said he hopes the diploma will become the first choice qualification of most, if not all, schools.

The academic additions moved the Government closer towards the original diploma, developed by Sir Mike Tomlinson and rejected by Tony Blair when Prime Minister.

Schools minister Jim Knight said: "I am surprised at this negative response from the CBI on our three subjectbased diplomas."

Christine Blower, the acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "No one should be surprised about the CBI's untimely intervention against the modern foreign languages, science and humanities diplomas.

"Sir Digby Jones, former directorgeneral of the CBI, pulled the rug from under Mike Tomlinson which in turn gave a dog whistle to Tony Blair and Ruth Kelly to block the Tomlinson report.

"The CBI has consistently taken a profoundly pessimistic view that young people at an early age should be sorted into vocational and academic tracks of learning. A lesson for the Government should be that it ought to be careful about the friends it chooses."

Leading universities said they backed the diplomas.

Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, which represents top universities including Oxbridge, said: "The Russell Group welcomes the diploma as a means of expanding the opportunities for potential students from a broader mix of backgrounds and educational experiences to progress to higher education.

"We recognise the importance of the aims of the diploma in encouraging students to apply academic learning in a practical context; in tailoring the curriculum to the needs of the student; and in attempting both to stimulate the low achiever and stretch the brightest.

"We particularly welcome the introduction of a science diploma as we are still concerned about the low proportion of students, largely from state schools, taking science A-levels."