Education and Inspections Bill

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that GCSEs were set up as an amalgamation of O-levels—available to only about 25 per cent. of the population—and the CSE, and that a D is actually the average grade of GCSE expected of a pupil? We must stop labelling as failures the pupils who struggle to get D and E. A child may equally be under-achieving if he or she gets a B when capable of an A. We should be looking at the reasons behind that. Does he agree that we should stop labelling these children, as that is half the problem?