The old debate rages on about educational standards today versus those of years ago.

However the world also continues to change so education must change as society evolves. The issue that raises these debates really comes from whether the education of our children meets the needs of society today.

The education system however needs to ensure that the basics are still there. It is the lack of basic skills that are the main concern of the employers. It is basic Literacy and numeracy that is the key to every subject and also essential for any career. If for example you are unable to write a simple message correctly to a colleague or check quantities or accounts your options are very limited in today's workplace.

One of the most important concerns should be the number of pupils still leaving school with no qualifications at all. (In 2002 this figure was around 30,000). A interesting fact is that where pupils are performing badly it is not related to wealth or gender but to alienation from the curriculum.

Let us hope that the government's current review on 14 to 19 education manages to resolve this situation.