MINISTERS faced fresh criticism of standards in schools yesterday after new figures indicated that less than half of pupils obtained five good GCSEs when English and mathematics were included in the reckoning.

Just 44.1 per cent of students passed English, maths and three other subjects at grade C or better this summer at the end of 11 years of compulsory schooling.

The figure is 11 percentage points lower than that recorded in the traditional measure used by the Government in performance tables of school results, which show the pass rate in any five GCSEs or vocational equivalents.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) said that schools achieved the biggest rise in pass rates for 11 years under this measure. The proportion of pupils passing five good GCSEs or equivalent this summer rose by two percentage points to 55.7 per cent. Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, said the results were a tremendous achievement but schools would be required to include English and maths in league-table rankings from next year.

The CBI, the employers’ organisation, said the figures underlined the concerns of business about inadequate standards of literacy and numeracy among schoolleavers. “Ensuring league tables reflect the true picture in our schools is one step in the right direction. But we need action not words now from the Government to get to grips with the problem,” John Cridland, the CBI’s deputy director-general, said. He added: “The education system is failing to deliver the right basic skills, with almost half of GCSE students failing to achieve adequate levels in numeracy and literacy.”

Mark Hoban, the Shadow Schools Minister, said: “Schools have been chasing government targets, but at the cost of teaching our children English and maths. We need to allow schools to focus much more on identifying what they can do better.”

Ms Kelly said that results for English and maths had risen by 8.5 percentage points since 1997, when just 35.6 per cent of pupils passed both subjects at grade C or better. Only one local education authority, Bristol, had failed to meet the government’s target of 38 per cent of pupils passing five good GCSEs, compared with 49 in 1997. Bristol recorded 36.1 per cent.

However, a BBC analysis of GCSEs last year showed that, of nearly 2,000 secondary schools whose results had improved since 2001, 17 per cent did worse in English and maths. The figures suggested that some highly regarded schools could tumble down the league tables under the Government’s new measure.

Ms Kelly insists that league tables should change to reflect performance in English and maths. A White Paper next week will emphasise the importance of helping all children to master literacy and numeracy.

Many of the “most improved” schools in recent years have made use of vocational qualifications, in particular intermediate GNVQs, to bolster their league table position. One intermediate GNVQ is counted as equivalent to four good GCSEs.

John Dunford, generalsecretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said: “League tables only report what they are designed to measure and schools adapt their policies accordingly. When league tables put more emphasis on English and maths, so will schools. League tables have assumed far too much importance in judging schools’ performance.”

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