Exams boss: Diplomas don't teach vital skills

New diploma courses do not give teenagers the grounding in maths and English they need for work, an exam board chief warned today.

Ministers believe diplomas combining theory with practical skills could replace A-levels and GCSEs as the main qualifications for teens. But OCR board chief executive Greg Watson said courses were "too elaborate" for many pupils.

Tens of thousands of students are taking diplomas in 10 subjects and another seven are being phased into schools and colleges over two years.

Mr Watson said pupils could suffer "a disservice" unless courses focused more on writing, maths and communication and less on details of hairdressing or media studies.

"Employers say if young people have nothing else, what makes them employable is basic skills they can use in a real job," he added.

A Schools Department spokesman said: "We think we've got the balance right between specialist knowledge of their chosen field and core skills in English and maths."