Most parents think the education system is "heading in the right direction," says a survey.

As the government is accused by its critics of failing to deliver on improving public services, the survey, commissioned by exam board Edexcel, suggests almost two-thirds of parents support the reforms in education.

According to the survey of parents whose children had taken exams in the last three years, 63% have confidence in the education system and 61% believe changes are taking the system in the right direction.

The survey also shows that few parents believe A-levels are getting easier - with only 12% saying they are getting easier compared to 25% who claim that they are harder.

And comparing their children's experiences of exams to their own, most parents claim that their children have to work harder for good grades than in their day.

There also appeared to be general approval for their children's schools, with 87% expressing satisfaction with the education their children were receiving or had recently received.

And while 45% believed that the standards in schools had improved in recent years, only 12% believed that it had gone down.

There was also parental support for the shift towards coursework in exams - rather than grades depending entirely on end-of-course exams.

A large majority of 87% backed the use of coursework, in addition to exams, as a fairer way of evaluating children's achievements.