Why are so many pupils leaving school without basic qualifications?

Report from children's commissioner reveals 28% rise in teens failing to achieve five good GCSE grades

Pupils sit exams
 
(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The children’s commissioner has called for urgent government action after revealing that the number of teenagers leaving education without basic qualifications has risen to nearly 100,000.

Almost one in five teenagers in England left education without achieving five GCSEs at the equivalent of at least a C grade last year, according to research by Anne Longfield. The children’s rights watchdog says the “shameful” increase to a total of 98,799 children represents a 28% rise since 2015.

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