[DanaC]

If they want to tackle low literacy levels they need to be dealing with that at a much earlier stage.

With regards to maths: as long as someone can count, add and subtract and deal with basic money transactions, then they have what they need to cope in life.

The problem is (as was mentioned in the article) employers want people with grades A-C in Maths and English. Actually, what most employers really want is someone who won't go to pieces if they have to work out a 20 per cent discount, or add vat to a bill. And someone who can competently put together a short report, or send an email or letter, or who can comprehend written instructions and rules.

GSCE Maths and English requires much more of people than that. If someone has D grades in English and Maths then they can almost certainly do all of those things.

Far better (imo) is to have a basic literacy and numeracy test which all children have to take alongside their GSCEs in Maths and English. That way, an employer looking to take on warehouse staff isn't requiring their employees to know how to analyse a piece of writing for bias, or work out square roots.