Wanted: more rebel teachers to break norm

Schools are fostering a "cult of the average" by focusing too much on tests and exam league tables, according to a major study of education published by Britain's employers today.

As a result, the best teachers in state schools are those who are "rebels against the system" and allow more creativity in the classroom, said John Cridland, director-general of the CBI.

The report, published to coincide with the opening of the CBI's annual conference, says today's education system is "too often failing to stretch the most able or support those who most need help".

It also calls for a shift away from the current emphasis on GCSE results – arguing schools should be held accountable by inspections by the education standards watchdog Ofsted. Schools, it says, "should be encouraged to go beyond the merely academic" and look into the behaviour and attitude they promote.

The report calls for the scrapping of the national curriculum in primary schools – and its replacement by clear goals for literacy, numeracy, science and computer science.