I’ve just been listening to the Director of Education at the CBI commenting on the A level results. What we need, she said - over and over again - is people who are good at maths.

On this day of national scrutiny of the results I would just add my own two pence worth - and I won’t repeat it over and over again. Feel free to take it or leave it.

What business also needs is graduates who are: 1) able to look at all things in perspective - including the exam system, 2) able to appreciate that what is important cannot always be quantified, 3) understand the pitfalls of naive empiricism, and lastly, can read and write to a high level. Literacy and the ability to communicate clearly in writing and speech are just as important as numeracy. Please give us more executives who do not use words like ‘re-engineer’ instead of change.

Discuss