New diplomas are 'a complete flop'

The number of teenagers taking up the Government's flagship new diplomas has plummeted to well below the reduced target figure set by ministers this summer, the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, was forced to admit yesterday.

Figures show that only 12,000 youngsters have opted to study the five diplomas launched in schools this September. That compares with an original target of 50,000 – which was reduced to just 20,000 before term began so that schools could concentrate on "quality not quantity" of delivery.

The new figure, revealed to MPs in the Commons yesterday afternoon, brought immediate claims from opposition MPs that the whole exercise had been "a complete flop".

Only last autumn, Mr Balls had said he believed the new diplomas – eventually to be offered in 17 subjects – could take over from A-levels as the natural route of progression for youngsters. But David Laws, the Liberal Democrats' education spokesman, said: "The take-up of the new diploma has been a complete flop. It is hardly surprising that take-up is this low because of the complexity of the system and the Government's hopeless fudge of running the existing GCSE/A-level system against 17 new diplomas."

Originally, a government inquiry into exam reform by Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former chief schools inspector, had recommended introducing an overarching diploma to cover both GCSE's and A-levels and vocational qualifications. But this was rejected by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Michael Gove, the Tory schools spokesman, said yesterday: "First they said they expected 50,000, then 38,000, then 20,000, and now we discover just 12,000 are taking the new qualifications. Coming in the wake of the SATs fiasco and with Ed Balls currently embroiled in yet another administrative disaster over education maintenance allowances [where thousands of 16 to 18-year-olds staying on in schools or colleges have yet to receive £30 a week payments] the confidence of parents and teachers in his department's ability to deliver large-scale projects is rapidly disappearing."

Yesterday, Mr Balls and his ministerial team sought to allay fears over the low take-up by announcing that a new academy – sponsored by the construction firm JCB – in Staffordshire would devote itself to delivering just the new diploma. He added that the Russell Group of universities – which represents the top 20 research institutions in the UK – had now indicated they would consider students with diploma qualifications.

Five diplomas were made available in schools and colleges from last month. The entire range of 17 will be available from 2013. The Schools minister, Jim Knight, said: "I want us to win the marathon, not get gripped up in a foolhardy sprint. We are focussing on quality, not quantity."

Meanwhile, the Government announced that the first three schools on its "hit list" of those failing to get 30 per cent of their pupils to obtain five A* to C-grade passes at GCSE that will be forced to become academies are Unity College, Northamptonshire, Rossmore School, Poole and St Luke's, Portsmouth. r.garner@independent.co.uk