Education white paper

The education secretary has pledged to keep A-levels and GCSEs and raise the "effective" school leaving age to 18.

Publishing the government's white paper on reform of the 14-19 education system on Tuesday, Ruth Kelly said the exams will be made harder and more diverse but not scrapped.

Promising to give the "same emphasis in more vocational education as we currently do in academic", she also took steps to ensure all 16-year-olds stay on at school, college, or in a workplace-based learning role.

Government Response: Department for Education and Skills

Ruth Kelly, education secretary, said:  "We have a lot to be proud of in our education system. It educates the vast majority of young people very well. We have seen continued rising standards in primary and secondary schools - in fact standards have never been higher. But we are not complacent - there is more to do.