Think-tank criticises exam system

Ministers have defended the British education system after a report criticised the government for denying state school pupils the opportunity to study for international GCSEs.

The Civitas think-tank said on Monday that Swedish children left school with better qualifications than those in the UK, where the more traditional O-level style exams are not an option.

Increasing numbers of private schools are opting for IGCSEs, but they have not been given the go-ahead for the state sector.

State-funded schools in Sweden are given complete freedom from government control.

And Civitas researcher Nick Cowen said: "The fact that [English] state schools are forced to teach a narrow curriculum and offer less valuable qualifications due to bureaucratic edicts is bad enough.

"But now we are faced with the likelihood that Swedes will be emerging from their state-funded secondary schools with better British qualifications than the majority of British pupils are even allowed to attempt.

"This is what political interference by successive British governments in the school curriculum has led to."

However, schools minister Jim Knight said the IGCSE was not "in any way superior to the GCSE".

"It is aimed at international students and therefore does not major on English cultural or historical concepts and achievements," he said.

"Parents care about having more good schools and that is precisely what we are delivering.

"Under the English system groups other than local authorities can set up schools.

"Just this week a group of parents in Sussex were given the go ahead to set up their own state school."

Knight added: "It is true that there is much we can learn from other education systems around the world. Likewise, there is much other systems can learn from us.

"I have spoken very recently with the Swedish education minister who is very interested to learn from the English education system."