'Reform needed' for A-level best

Mr Miliband has robustly defended standards

Universities and employers need more information to select the highest achievers, schools minister David Miliband has admitted.

But that did not mean down-grading the results of other successful candidates, he said.

In a speech in London, he hit back at claims that exams are getting easier.

A-level results, released on Thursday, are expected to show an improvement on last year's results where 21.6% of entries were awarded an A.

Admissions tutors at the leading universities say they are finding it increasingly difficult to select the very best candidates, because more people are getting top grades.

There have been calls for universities to be given a breakdown of a student's results, so that they can see the grades awarded for each of an A-level's six modules.

On a visit to a summer school at Imperial College, London on Tuesday, Mr Miliband stressed that standards had not been "dumbed down".

He said that only about one in 20 A-level candidates got As in each of the six modules that made up an A-level.

However, he admitted: "Universities and employers do need a means to select the highest achievers."

Students are working hard to get the grades they deserve Amalie Peacre, Rainham, Kent Your views

"But my argument is that that need is no basis for marking down the successful efforts of an increasing number of candidates."

Mr Miliband insisted the government had a "strong interest in developing a 14-19 education system that stretched achievement at every level of the ability range."

"For our most able youngsters, we are now discussing how to recognise distinctive achievement."

The former chief inspector of schools in England, Mike Tomlinson, is currently heading a review of education for 14-19 year olds.

Mr Tomlinson has suggested grades for each of the six A-level modules could be given to universities or that the A grade could be split into four bands.

His final report is due in September.

August 'pantomime'

The number of students getting the equivalent of two A-levels has gone up from 78,000 to 240,000 during the last 30 years.

Last year, 21.6% of A-level entries were awarded an A grade and the number is expected to be higher this year.

We stand for success based on worth not birth David Miliband

These statistics have led critics to accuse the government of "dumbing down" standards.

David Thomas, chief executive of the Careers Research Advisory Centre described rising grades as "rather alarming" and called for tougher marking by exam boards.

But Mr Miliband dismissed the "great education debate every August" as a pantomime rather than a discussion.

"When the facts say teaching standards are rising... when the facts show that the growth in pupils doing well comes from Middle England families, the only conclusion we can draw when commentators talk of 'dumbing down' is that they believe Middle England has neither the brains nor the talent to do well," said Mr Miliband.

"We stand for success based on worth not birth and we will not be distracted from building wider educational opportunities by those who see a danger in meritocracy."

Around 250,000 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their results on Thursday.