In 2005, England's secondary education system was in crisis. Attainment at age 16 was low and the drop out rate high. At age 18 grades were inflated and key skills were missing.
The Tomlinson Report of 2004 aimed to fix all of these problems by replacing the existing qualifications framework with a single diploma. But this presented the education system with a massive dilemma.
In this programme, first broadcast in February 2005, experts including Professor Alan Smithers and teachers like Francis Gilbert demonstrated their scepticism about a qualification where all forms of learning would be equally valued and equally accessible.
