When will they admit failure?

This week the BBC published findings by the LibDems on the progress of students in the GCSE exams.

We are familiar with the dumbing down, low marks for passing and the general dissatisfaction with the exam. Now comes the news that almost one in ten pupils in England sat fewer than 5 GCSEs last year.

In other words almost 60,000 did not even attempt enough subjects to help towards achieving the Government's target of 30% of students in each school achieving 5 good passes, that is with grade C or better, by 2012.

This is yet more evidence of the failure of our schools to help all pupils to leave school with basic skills with which they can achieve their full potential. There is little surprise that so many are on benefit and on the streets. Nor is is surprising that British employers regularly report that skills among immigrants are generally higher than among many British school leavers.