Mike Tomlinson presents far-reaching proposals for schools

GCSEs and A-levels should evolve over the next decade into a new diploma system, recommends a report from former chief inspector, Mike Tomlinson.

A four-stage diploma has been designed to stretch the most able pupils, while assuring employers that all school leavers have basic skills.

Education Secretary Charles Clarke says the government will respond in a White Paper in the New Year.

The proposals would represent the "biggest reform of qualifications in any of our lifetimes", Mr Clarke told the House of Commons.

'Employers' guarantee'

Mr Tomlinson, presenting his blueprint for secondary education, said: "There must be no dead ends where students cannot progress further.

Students will have to pass tests in three "core" skills needed for the workplace - literacy, maths and information and communications technology.

KEY PROPOSALS Four-level diploma to be introduced as new qualification A-level and GCSE courses would be components Advanced level graded on eight-point scale, including A++ Mandatory "core" of basic English, maths and ICT Pupils learn at own pace, assessed when ready Assessment by teachers except at advanced level Vocational options improved Recognition for other experiences, such as voluntary work Coursework replaced by a single big project Changes gradual - taking perhaps a decade More details

"This would be the first time that a qualification gives employers the guarantee that students have these skills," said Mr Tomlinson, whose Working Party on 14-19 Reform was set up last year by the government.

Employers have long complained that the existing qualification system has left young people without these basic skills - and Mr Tomlinson's report highlights that at present only 42% of young people have a GCSE in both English and maths.

The report also addresses the high drop-out rate at the age of 16 - a deep-rooted problem which has seen England with one of the worst staying-on records in the developed world.

Improving vocational education - and coupling this with basic skills - was presented as a way of keeping those "disengaged from learning" within the education system.

But Mr Tomlinson said that it depended on a change in attitude from the present approach to vocational education which he said was characterised as "a good idea for someone else's child, but not for mine".

'Evolution, not revolution'

Mr Tomlinson also proposed sweeping changes for the current qualification system.

The point I would like to make very clear is that these proposals will not - and I do not know how many times I will have to repeat it - not mean the abolition of external examinations, nor the abolition of GCSE, AS and A-levels as courses and subjects Mike Tomlinson, chair of Working Group on 14-19 Reform

GCSEs, which would be absorbed into the "intermediate" level of the diploma structure, would be downgraded to a "stepping stone and a progress check, rather than the present artificial break-point".

These qualifications would no longer be marked by external examiners - and throughout the system there would be an attempt to streamline the "repetitive and burdensome" number of exam units - which costs schools an average of �150,000 per year.

The full rigour of externally-marked exams would be reserved for the advanced level - which would become the dominant, end-of-school academic qualification.

And to address the recurrent problem of universities saying they cannot distinguish between so many A-grade students - there would be eight different grades, including an A++ for the top 5% of pupils.

NEW DIPLOMA - CURRENT EQUIVALENTS Advanced - AS-level and A-level, Level 3 NVQ, BTec Nationals and others Intermediate - GCSEs grades A* to C, Intermediate GNVQ, Level 2 NVQ and others Foundation - GCSEs grades D to G, Level 1 NVQ and others Entry level - Entry level certificates

Coursework would be replaced by an extended project - and this would be made available to universities "at the earliest possible opportunity" to help with their admissions decisions.

While asserting that "the status quo is not an option", Mr Tomlinson balanced his call for change with assurances that there would be no "big bang" - and that "the way ahead is through evolution, not revolution" .

A-levels live on

Asked whether this would spell the end of league tables, he said that the "reforms do not diminish the need for institutional accountability". The performance tables might take a different form, but they would still be required.

HAVE YOUR SAY I don't understand why there is a necessity to completely re-invent the wheel Fiona, Surrey, UK Send us your comments

He also stressed that reports of the death of the A-level and GCSE were premature - and that they would be part of the diploma framework, even if not as free-standing qualifications.

"The point I would like to make very clear is that these proposals will not - and I do not know how many times I will have to repeat it - not mean the abolition of external examinations, nor the abolition of GCSE, AS and A-levels as courses and subjects," said Mr Tomlinson.

And tackling accusations that the diploma structure would lack sufficient academic rigour - he said "the system does not offer the proverbial 'prizes for all'."

A-level quota call

The implementation of the proposals will depend on the Department for Education - and the education secretary commended the report's efforts to raise core skills, stretch the most able students, improve staying-on rates and to extend vocational education.

He also gave no indication that this would mean the end of exam league tables - and stressed that A-levels and GCSEs would remain as "building blocks" of a new system.

A detailed response will be published next year, Mr Clarke said in a statement to the House of Commons.

The Conservatives' education spokesperson, Tim Collins, also endorsed much of the report - but said that exams needed to be externally assessed. And he sought assurances that there would be no ambiguity about the future of A-levels.

The report's backers had been seeking to establish a consensus behind its proposals - and head teachers, universities, college leaders and a line-up of employers expressed their broad support for the proposals.

But in a policy speech on Monday, Conservative leader, Michael Howard, proposed a different direction.

Mr Howard said that only a fixed proportion of students, perhaps 5% or 10%, should get a top A-level grade, no matter how well pupils performed against an objective standard.

The changes put forward by Mr Tomlinson's working group would take up to 10 years to implement if adopted by the government - with a four-year pilot scheme to test the diploma. The first changes to existing exams would be introduced in 2007.

Children in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be unaffected.