DIPLOMA SYSTEM WILL IMPROVE STANDARDS AND REDUCE DROP OUT RATE: MULHOLLAND

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 25th Aug 2005

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, has commented on the release of today's GCSE results. As has been widely reported, the results for England, Northern Ireland and Wales have improved at all grades for the first time since 1996.

Commenting, Greg said:

"I congratulate students and their teachers in Leeds North West for all their hard work. Today is the day for them to reap the fruits of their labour."

"However, I find it very concerning that Ministers seem shockingly complacent faced with results showing a lack of progress in basic skills and a reduction in students studying foreign languages."

"Almost half of Britain's teenagers will get fewer than five grade Cs at GCSE, with even fewer achieving five Cs including Maths and English. Coupled with Britain's high drop out rate for post-16 education, the case for replacing GCSEs and A-levels with a diploma system has never been stronger."