London: Teenagers who fail to score good grades in their English and maths GCSEs must continue studying the subjects until they are 18, ministers will say on Monday.

Education Secretary Michael Gove says the move will help ensure young people grasp the key subjects that employers ‘demand above all others’.

The proposal was first put forward by Alison Wolf, the Sir Roy Griffiths Professor of Public Sector Management at King’s College London, in her 2011 review of vocational education.

At the time, she said it was ‘scandalous’ that half of 16-year-olds were leaving school without obtaining good GCSEs in English and maths.

She warned it was a real failure of the education system that many youngsters would still not have the qualifications by the age of 18.

The Wolf review — which was backed by Gove — called for any teenager who did not get C grades in GCSE English and maths to continue with them post-16 as the two subjects are the ‘most important in the world’.

A survey of 19-year-olds last year showed that 285,000 had left school at age 16 without a C or higher in both English and maths. By the time they were 19, virtually 90 per cent — 255,000 — had still not reached this level, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

Only 21 per cent of those who had not gained a good grade at 16 in English continued studying it, while 23 per cent of those who had not got a C or better in maths continued to take the subject.

The reform will be introduced in the coming school year — which begins this week for many schools — and comes as the education participation age is raised to 17. In 2015 it will be raised again to 18.

The DfE said that ideally, teenagers without good grades in English and maths will continue studying for GCSEs in these subjects.

However, they can also take other qualifications such as functional skills and maths courses accredited by the exams regulator Ofqual as a ‘stepping stone’ to GCSEs.

The English and maths results of those aged 16 to 19 will be shown in annual school league tables, the DfE said.

Gove said: “Good qualifications in English and maths are what employers demand before all others. They are the most important vocational skills a young person can have. Young people must be able to demonstrate their understanding of these subjects.”

Professor Wolf said that she was ‘delighted’ to see her ‘single most important’ recommendation implemented.

She added: “It will have a hugely positive impact on the ability of hundreds of thousands of young people to get good jobs.”

Mike Harris, head of education and skills policy at the Institute of Directors, added: “The fact hundreds of thousands of young people have not achieved good qualifications in English and maths by the age of 19 is both socially damaging and economically unsustainable.”

Gove has previously said that within a decade he wants to see most teenagers studying maths up to the age of 18 — in line with other developed nations — and the Government is developing new post-16 qualifications in the subject.

Ministers are further tackling the skills gap with reforms including a tougher curriculum, more challenging GCSEs and A-levels and new league tables to reward schools for good marks in core subjects.

Last week it was revealed that a GCSE English classroom assessment will no longer count towards final grades because of widespread cheating by teachers.

Ofqual said the speaking and listening tests would not be taken into account because they are vulnerable to ‘over-marking’.

These classroom tests were worth 20 per cent of marks in GCSE English. Reading and writing coursework added 40 per cent, with written exams making up the rest.