A growing number of GCSE pupils are still failing to pass English and Maths despite a slight rise in top grades, continuing a trend since the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of teenagers received their GCSE results on Thursday 21st of August 2025, which overall showed a slight rise in top grades across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, a growing number of pupils were still failing to achieve a pass in the core subjects crucial to their career progression.

According to the Times Newspaper, “This year, 39.8 per cent of students failed to achieve a standard pass in English language and 41.7 per cent in maths, with both figures worse than last year. Slightly more 16-year-olds have failed English and Maths this year, which could lead to a surge in those wanting to retake their exams this autumn or next year.”

Personally, I do not see this as a failure of the students to achieve, but a failure of our current education system to deliver. That is not casting any doubt or criticism at the superb teachers we employ across the country, but it is pointing the finger of concern at the format of the curriculum being delivered.

Since I was at school in the 1960’s and 70’s the delivery of hand skills has greatly reduced in availability in an economy that is crying out for more. I also feel this is having an ever-increasing impact on our Special Educational Needs (SEN) budgets as students are being made to feel they are not achieving anything.

In 2011, when I opened my first welder training college in Stevenage alongside Sir John Hayes the Skills Minister at the time, I always remember a young man coming up to me saying “Mister thank you, I can Weld” and going on to say, “my teachers said I would be nothing when I was at school”. We need to ensure that everyone is “something” and provide the full range of skills and education to enhance that value.

We are living in a world today where we all have access to instant information via our various devices which greatly improves our knowledge of the world with my 5-year-old grandson telling me that “Russia has the largest land mass compared to any other country”. We need to change the way we deliver the curriculum today and make the activity of studying more interesting and varied for the future of our country. Yes, information is vital, but delivery is in competition with technology.

Sadly in 1999 while serving as Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair insisted on 50% of our students going to university and in 2022 suggested 60% by 2030 and 70% by 2040. The attached graph shows the effect that education is having on the development of our IQ and people like to be seen and to feel they are achievers which Vocational Skills often deliver. In life it really has nothing to do with IQ but opportunity and achievement and being told you’re a failure at School before you leave the school gates is inappropriate and quite wrong. It was this aspect that spurred me to take the matter further.

When I had the opportunity to meet with the education Minister back in 2022 Nadhim Zahawi MP, organised for me by Bim Afolami MP, I had the opportunity to advise then that our students were unlikely to get an interview for an apprenticeship as they had not attained GCSE’s in English or Maths which sadly meant that at the time we spoke, 35% of our Students leaving school are automatically excluded. Within six weeks of that discussion the Level 1 & Level 2 apprenticeships had the requirement removed and it is vital that everyone involved in providing skills opportunities and education are aware of this fact so we can encourage more of our young people to aspire to a career via our needy Employers and our wonderful Colleges.

It’s a focus in this area of delivery, that will make the UK the industrious and highly productive nation which we once were.