This is where this blog backs Michael Gove to the hilt. Indeed we like this part of his education reforms so much that we forgive the others which are irelevant. We even forgive his neo-con leanings.
From the start of comprehensive schools to the departure of New Labour, education has been subject to continuous political tinkering by both Tory and Labour, as well as misguided academics and well meaning fools. The result is the current record number of unemployed young people. Never before in our history has there been such a sorry outcome to policy, nor with such wasteful human cost.
The excuse is that it is due to the economic downturn. This is not so. In an economic downturn freshly qualified young people, up to speed with modern learning, represent good value to an employer. Unfortunately our education system now produces young people who do not meet this criteria. What they do know is in many cases useless and worse, their command of their native language and ability to express themselves both by word of mouth and in writing, falls far short of foreign migrant workers. Gove knows this, thinks it is appalling and is determined to put it right. It will take time.
A start is needed right away. In order to point up where we are and focus schools on what they have to do, the English Baccalaureate is introduced. It affirms that a student has gained C (for all practical purposes C is a pass) in English, maths, two sciences, a language and either history or geography. Such is the minimum standard of education needed to compete in the modern world where standards are high and rising. This is very good news.
If ever there were evidence of how timely this is, it is the chaos and confusion caused in so many schools by the need to at last separate what is needed from what is not.