Tesco chief: School standards 'woefully low'

Standards in Britain's state schools under the current Labour government are at 'woefully low' levels, the chief executive of Tesco has said.

Sir Terry Leahy said the overuse of government agencies 'issuing reams of instructions to teachers' was preventing Britain's teachers from getting on 'with the task at hand: teaching children'.

At the Institute of Grocery Distribution's annual conference, Sir Terry, who is a member of the National Council for Educational Excellence (NCEE), a body which advises the prime minister on education, said: 'As the largest private employer in the country, we depend on high standards in our schools.

'Sadly, despite all the money that has been spent, standards are still woefully low in too many schools.

'Employers like us, and I suspect many of you, are often left to pick up the pieces.'

But the Department for Children, Schools and Families has hit back at Sir Terry's comments, saying 'standards have never been higher'.

They added: 'There are several non-departmental bodies, but it's clearly right and proper that issues such as exam standards are regulated by an independent body.'

However, Sir Terry's comments were echoed by John Cridland, director general of the CBI, who said the concerns were 'shared by a wide range of the business community'.