Diplomas may fail to prepare students for university, says former Ofsted chief

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor Published: 4:23PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

Sir Mike Tomlinson, former head of Ofsted, pronounced the Governments new education in educational subjects would miss a little of the "knowledge, content, judgment and understanding" offering in pick courses deleterious pupils chances of removing in to university.

The comments are the ultimate in a array of attacks on diplomas that ministers explain could in the future reinstate GCSEs and A-levels altogether.

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The education for fourteen to 19-year-olds brew classroom investigate and work-based training.

They are now offering in 10 unsentimental subjects such as media, building a whole and IT, with plans for 7 some-more in entrance years. This includes 3 in the normal educational areas of science, languages and humanities.

Sir Mike referred to courses would have no some-more training time than A-levels, notwithstanding being far some-more difficult to run.

"My be concerned is that the outcome of that might well be that we have far less knowledge, content, judgment and bargain in what we do than is now in A-level, that I think would severely be concerned higher education," he said.

Sir Mike was the writer of a 2004 inform on the education system, that led to the growth of diplomas.

Labour has pronounced diplomas could in the future turn the "qualification of choice", replacing existent courses altogether.

But in an talk with the Times Educational Supplement, Sir Mike said: "I think there is a outrageous joining to the A-level and until such a time as an pick is shown to be improved than the A-level, people will wish to hang with what they know."

A orator for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "The Diploma is a really new gift that is still developing. Those that have been introduced are increasingly popular. We shouldnt burst to conclusions about those that havent even proposed yet."

He added: "Diplomas are delivering the brew of fanciful and unsentimental skills that employers and universities worth and for this reason they could in truth turn the gift of preference for immature people."