Speaking at the British Association for the Advancement of Science's festival of science in Cardiff, Professor Colin Blakemore argued that the education system owed more to the post-war years than to the needs of the present.

Formal lessons for five year olds might not be the best start

Professor Blakemore, a neuroscientist and president of the British Association, said that structural changes were necessary from primary school through to university

At sixth form, the professor said that the current practice of taking three A-levels should be replaced with a broader range of subjects.

"I hope that the government will look at the introduction of a broader curriculum, as in other European countries, with say three major and two minor subjects and with every sixth former studying both art and science," the professor said.

Accompanying a broader sixth form curriculum, Professor Blakemore believes should be a restructured higher education system. He proposes a model in which honours degrees are taught over four years, with a second tier of degree courses for the majority of students lasting only two years.

This restructuring would address the rapid expansion in students in higher education, which has put financial pressures on government, universities and students.

Infant school reform

At the other end of the age range, Professor Blakemore questioned the current emphasis on giving infants formal lessons in literacy and numeracy.

Taking another example from education in Europe, he noted that although school leavers in Germany and Switzerland out-perform their British counterparts, formal teaching does not begin there until children reach six or seven.