The issue explained: 14-19 white paper

Tomorrow the government will set out its response to the changes for 14-19 education proposed in the Tomlinson report, which included plans to replace GSCEs and A-levels with a diploma system. What's on the cards? Polly Curtis explains

Why is the government doing this white paper now?
It's the response to a report on 14-19 education by the former Ofsted chief Sir Mike Tomlinson. Last October he proposed to replace GCSEs, A-levels and the hundreds of vocational qualifications available with an overarching diploma giving a choice between vocational and academic routes (find out how it would work here). All children would get a grounding in "functional" maths and language skills and there would be more "stretch" for the more academic pupils. Central to the plan is giving equal weighting to academic and vocational routes.

What's the government going to say?
Journalists were told over the weekend that "the brightest students would be stretched"; basic maths and communication skills would be improved; and that the government would tackle the "snobbish" academic/vocational divide and tackle the high drop-out rate. Which all sounds pretty much in line with Tomlinson's report, but there's one major difference: the government is definitely not going to scrap A-levels and GCSEs. Tony Blair, Charles Clarke, David Miliband and now Ruth Kelly have all promised that they will remain.

Will that work?
No, says Tomlinson, along with the overwhelming majority of teachers, headteachers, universities other and educationalists. The fear is that by keeping A-levels and GCSEs, any other qualification would be undermined as traditionalists continue to value the tried and trusted qualifications over any new vocational qualification the government might introduce. Tomlinson has said that you can't "cherry pick" the plan. Ofsted; the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and every teaching union is urging the government to be brave and adopt the whole system.

Why won't they?
Would you want to be the government which abolished A-levels months before a general election?

What will happen next?
The white paper, which will set out the government's plans, will be released tomorrow. Teachers and headteachers have promised that the government will have a fight on its hands should it fail to back Tomlinson in full. But it could be that the government will immediately announce some populist ideas - better training for school leavers at aged 16 and tougher questions for A* grades at A-levels - then get the general election out the way and return to this issue. Tomlinson always promised that any reform would take up to 10 years.