Schools 'promoting bogus qualifications'

Students from poorer backgrounds are being channelled towards vocational qualifications rather than GCSEs in a form of an "educational apartheid", it was claimed today.

Too many schools encourage pupils to take vocational exams, which are deemed to be worth up to four GCSEs, in an attempt to improve their league table rankings, said a report by the social research think-tank Civitas.

It claimed many such qualifications were "bogus" and did not give pupils the skills needed to find work. In total, 311,000 vocational exams were sat by 14 to 16-year-olds in 2008 and the numbers are growing, said Civitas.

"It's imperative that we put an end to the bogus versions of vocational qualifications in schools which are harming both vocational education and the education of an increasing number of students," said Anastasia de Vaal, the head of family and education at Civitas, who conducted its research.

Details of her findings emerged on the day that 600,000 GCSE students are due to receive their results.

This summer's exams are expected to show another increase in the numbers of passes at grades A* to C.

Meanwhile, 13,597 youngsters have now found a university place through clearing, figures revealed yesterday. It left 187,488 people eligible for clearing chasing around 27,000 places.