Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the English Baccalaureate "reinforces the idea that anything other than a traditional academic route is the poor relation".

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Association of Teachers and Lecturers general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said she agreed with the report's assertion that "apprenticeships should deliver a valued, high-kudos route for young people, which is as equally respected as the academic route".

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Dr Roger White, senior lecturer in archaeology and Academic Director of the Ironbridge Institute, said he could go along with the idea that this was an Iron Age route which was then re-used by the Romans.

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