Bacc figures alarming: IoD South West
By Andy Pearson
The IOD in the South West has praised a Wiltshire school for topping a new government league table – but has warned that a radical reform in education across England is still required.
Commenting on the latest GCSE performance figures, Gerry Jones, chairman of the Institute of Directors in the South West, said: “It is creditable that a South West school – Bishop Wordsworth’s Grammar in Salisbury – topped of the English Baccalaureate rankings with 98% of pupils achieving the measure. Congratulations to everybody there.
“Of course, speaking generally, no single performance measure is flawless; it is impossible to distil into one statistic a representation of the quality or otherwise of an education system.
“However, the fact that across the country fewer than one pupil in six achieved the threshold for the new English Bacc is very worrying and underlines the continuing need for radical reform in education.
“Schools, colleges and universities represent the frontline of the fight for the UK’s future economic competitiveness.
Skilled
“To develop the highly skilled workforce businesses increasingly depend on, we must prepare pupils to compete in the global marketplace. That means a resolute and unabashed focus on improving performance across the board.
“The Coalition Government has made a strong start in its education reform agenda.
“Its November White Paper contained a welcome emphasis on teaching standards, the extension of autonomy, and improving attainment in the basics.
“Its proposals for an English Baccalaureate rightly build on the foundations of the qualifications we already have, rather than seeking to reinvent the wheel.
“What today’s figures illustrate is the scale of the challenge.
“If our education system is genuinely to match the quality of the best in the world, more of the same manifestly isn’t good enough.”
Tags: Bishop Wordsworth, Cardiff, English Bacc, IOD South West, PR, PR agency, Wales
