HMC members praised the existing choice at age 16

Private schools have criticised proposals to overhaul the GCSE and A-level exams system for being "inflexible".

Earlier this year, a government-appointed working group suggested the creation of a single "diploma" for all students aged 14 to 19.

Described by some as the English equivalent of the European Baccalaureate, this would include compulsory elements, such as maths or English, continuing until the end of school.

Members of the Headmasters and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), which represents 240 independent schools, said this would end the free choice of subjects at sixth form.

'Staying within the system'

Chairman Graham Able, also head teacher of Dulwich College in London, said: "There is general concern at anything labelled with the Baccalaureate or diploma tag because there is general concern about loss of flexibility."

The HMC debate, in Dublin, was closed to the media but Mr Able issued a statement saying there was general agreement among members that they wanted sixth-form subject choice to remain entirely optional.

But private schools wanted to "work within the national system".

The final proposals of the working group, chaired by former chief inspector of schools Mike Tomlinson, are due out next June.

Mike Tomlinson denied a conflict of ideas

Education Secretary Charles Clarke then has to decided whether to press ahead with a 10-year conversion of the exam system.

Mr Able said there was "general enthusiasm" in the HMC for "some form of GCSE".

However, members wanted a much slimmer GCSE programme, involving a "small core" of compulsory subjects, including English and maths.

Teachers should be responsible for saying how well students performed in the course of their studies, Mr Able added.

Professor Alan Smithers of Liverpool University, who is the special adviser to the Commons Education Select Committee, said the private schools' statement showed "very good sense".

'Nonsense'

School was optional after 16 and students needed good qualifications that "take them in the direction which they want to go in".

It was a "nonsense" to force people to study English and maths to age 18 or 19, he said.

But Mr Tomlinson said he did not believe there was a major disagreement between private schools and his committee.

His proposals called for everyone to have achieved at least a GCSE-level pass in English and maths at C grade or above by the time they left school, and most privately educated pupils achieved that by the age of 16.

Mr Tomlinson said: "We are not saying that everybody from 14 onwards must study English and maths right the way through.

"All I'm saying is that if you haven't got it by 16, there is obviously a need to continue doing it until you have."