Ofsted also said that the money the government makes available for summer schools to help disadvantaged children bridge the gap between primary and secondary education could be better spent on extra maths and English classes once they start secondary school.

BBC: Schools could do better with pupil premium, says Ofsted

Furthermore, we find that English skills do not raise wages at all for younger men who have not completed their secondary school education.

FORBES: It Pays To Speak English

Yet, we still have a secondary public education system that ranks with Third World countries in preparing our children in English-language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.

CNN: Commentary: Who says public schools need more money?

The decision by Education Secretary Michael Gove will mean that computing will count as a science in the English Baccalaureate for secondary school league tables from January 2014 - alongside physics, chemistry, biology and pupils taking double science.

BBC: Computer science part of English Baccalaureate