In a study to be published on Tuesday, former schools chief inspector Mike Tomlinson is expected to call for the present system of GCSEs and A Levels to be scrapped in favour of a four-tier diploma.

Government Response: Department for Education and Skills

David Miliband school standards mnister said:"The interim report is ambitious in scope, exciting in its potential and practical in its focus. It builds on the strengths of the English system and offers the chance to tackle the weaknesses.

"Curriculum reform is the next part of the reform process to raise standards and is part of our drive to make education personalised around the needs of young people.

"There is still much work to do. I would now like to see the Working Group engage in extensive and constructive debate around these issues, to help them prepare for their final report. At the same time I am committed to listening to views from employers, universities, schools, pupils and parents. It is essential that they are all involved.

"'The government will not decide what changes or reforms should be made until after it has considered the final report from Mike Tomlinson's Working Group due later this year."

Party Response: Liberal Democrats

Phil Willis MP, Liberal Democrat shadow education secretary,said: "It is crucial to look at diplomas as part of the bigger education picture.

"With over 90 per cent of students currently entering higher education from an academic background and less than 50 per cent from a vocational route, the current situation does not meet the needs of either the learner or the employer.

"Job focused learning must become as attractive as more traditional study. Work-based training must go hand-in-hand with core skills development to create qualifications, which are relevant in the employment market.

"Talking about the workplace in the classroom is simply not enough. To tackle major problems such as truancy and exclusion, 14-16 year olds must be freed from the curriculum straight-jacket and be given a chance to try on different jobs in a variety of settings to see if they like them."

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teaches and Lecturers, said: "We will await with interest the details of this report on Tuesday but ATL broadly welcomes Mike Tomlinson’s considered and measured attempt to address fault lines in the English education system.

"We have persistently expressed our concern about the long tail of underachieving young people who leave school without any qualifications, depriving them of the opportunity of going onto further and higher education.

"We therefore welcome the proposed qualification structure that would enable young people with varying educational abilities to reach a formal level of achievement.

"The need to merge vocational and academic qualifications is crucial. The English education system is good at catering for academic high-flyers but seems less capable of coping with those with vocational strengths. Some right-wingers may think the academic-vocational mix is a dumbing down of the education system but it provides students with a wide range of life skills that allows for different rates of development.

"The review process adopted by Tomlinson is excellent, giving teacher organisations and teachers proper consultative time lines, unlike some DfES pilot schemes."

Forum Response: The Prince's Trust

Leslie Morphy, Director of Policy and Programmes at The Prince's Trust said: "We back a more flexible education based on individual need and in particular a greater emphasis on the benefits of a broader curriculum. The proposals put forward by the Tomlinson report today include many of the elements The Prince's Trust has already found to be extremely successful in engaging young people. For example assessing communication skills, teamwork, work placements to ensure young people are not only measured on academic ability, but also on life skills which are vital for future employment.

"We hope the emphasis on a more flexible approach, built around individual need, will help engage the five per cent of 15-year-olds who leave school each year without any qualifications - this group has to be a key priority.

"Our prime task should be equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to succeed in whatever path they choose, whether it is higher education, modern apprenticeships, further training or life in general."

Forum Response: Professional Association of Teachers

Alison Johnston, PAT senior professional officer, said: "Obviously, we will need to study the details when they are actually published on Tuesday.

"However, PAT has been calling for a broader, more flexible curriculum, with more options for vocational subjects, that can develop the skills and meet the needs and aspirations of all students. It seems that the new diploma structure may be a bold move in that direction.

"A diploma-style framework, based on four levels, would be appropriate in catering for individual needs and identifying clear progression routes.

"We are pleased that Mr Tomlinson is advocating gradual change. It is important that there are no hasty moves to scrap the current system overnight, as that would not be to the advantage of students or their teachers.

"It is essential that these proposed changes are implemented in a carefully managed transition.

"All the partners in education need to debate these fundamental changes and how to implement them so we have the best possible outcome for the students of the future."

Forum Response: National Union of Teachers

Doug McAvoy, NUT general secretary, said:

“Professor Tomlinson’s proposals have much to commend them. But there is much that is good in the existing examination system that must not be lost.