'Higher pass rates due to pupils not taking harder GCSE subjects'

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In the last 10 years there has been a sharp increase in the number of 16-year-olds gaining at least five GCSE passes at grades A* to C.

The Government has used the statistics to claim it is proof secondary education is improving and so are GCSE results. The figures are used to dictate where a school is placed in contentious league tables.

But a new analysis of official figures by the Tories shows the proportion of pupils with five A* to C passes in the core subjects has actually declined.

The percentage of pupils with passes in English, maths, science, a modern language, and history or geography has actually dropped from nearly 44 per cent to 26.6 per cent in the last 10 years, blowing away the assertion standards are on the up across the board.

David Willetts, the Conservative shadow education secretary, said the statistics were proof of a "shocking decline in standards".

Mr Willetts said: "Fewer pupils are studying for core GCSEs that matter to universities and employers.

"Instead, they are being entered for non-core subjects and equivalents that help push schools further up the league tables".

The figures show that the higher overall pass rate is down to pupils taking 'softer' subjects such as media studies, PE and social scince rather than the traditional academic disciplines.

Mr Willetts' comments come just days after Sir Digby Jones, the Government's new skills envoy, called the lack of basic skills among school-leavers a 'national disgrace'.

Jim Knight, the schools minister, said the new figures were 'misleading'.

Sticking by Government numbers which show since Labour came to power the number of children gaining five passes A to C in all subjects has risen from 45 to 59 per cent, Mr Knight said: "The truth is that standards in our schools are rising year-on-year and to claim otherwise using misleading statistics is an insult to the hard work of pupils and teachers across the country."