Fail and you'll close, schools told

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Mr Brown, in his first major speech on education since taking office, declared: "We can no longer tolerate failure.

He said his aim was for the UK to be top of the global education league, encouraging all pupils to aspire to further or higher education.

Mr Brown, speaking at the University of Greenwich in London, said: "It is time to say not just that we will aim high, but that we can no longer tolerate failure, that no longer will it be acceptable for any child to fall behind.

"No longer acceptable for any school to fail its pupils, no longer acceptable for young people to drop out of education without good qualifications without us acting.

"No more toleration of second best in Britain - no more toleration of second best for Britain."

The Prime Minister went on: "We will put an end to failure."

He said the number of failing schools has dropped dramatically in the last decade. In 1997, he said, more than 600 secondary schools had fewer than 25% of children getting five or more good GCSEs. Now there were only 26.

But the Premier pointed to statistics showing there are still 670 schools where fewer than 30% of pupils get five A* to C grades at GCSE.

He promised: "We will put in place a systematic plan of ever tougher measures for eradicating failure."