Estelle Morris has called for an end to the "British disease" of knocking academic excellence.

The education secretary said that ingrained in the nation's psyche was a tendency to denigrate academic achievement. "I feel that as a nation we are sometimes embarrassed about excellence, particularly academic excellence," she said.

Morris argued it was time to end the "malaise" and celebrate academic successes as much as the achievement of sporting heroes such as David Beckham.