New report criticises education policies

The government's education strategy may have failed in giving pupils the skills they need to progress on to university, a new report suggests.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publication, the money spent on educational reforms has not necessarily raised standards in the UK's schools.

"There is no strong empirical link between aggregate education spending and pupil achievement so that additional resources do not automatically translate into better results," the report said.

"Given the need for tight expenditure control, this suggests that the focus in education spending should shift to improving the efficiency of existing spending."

It added that quality education provision should not be compromised at the expense of greater quantity education, making reference to recent noises from the government suggesting that the compulsory education age is to rise.

Earlier this month, schools minister Jim Knight said that the new diplomas introduced in the UK could play an important role in helping people succeed in "the global skills race".