The overall pass rate for GCSEs has reached 98.1 per cent – and the percentage gaining A* to C grades has also risen, from 61.2 per cent to 62.4 per cent.

In addition, the number of students gaining A*-C grades in English has risen by 0.7 per cent to 61.6 per cent and in maths by 0.9 percentage points to 54.3 per cent.

But although the number of students gaining good passes in foreign languages has risen by 3.8 per cent, the number of entries has fallen.

Secretary of State for Education and Skills Alan Johnson described the fall as “disappointing” but added: “We have taken a sensible approach to what will make language learning thrive. It is not about forcing young people to study a language it is about starting in primary schools, finding new and exciting ways of teaching languages and better supporting those who show an aptitude for the subject.”

Meanwhile, new research from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) reveals that 22 per cent of employers say they would not recruit job-seekers with less than five good GCSEs or the vocational equivalent –and 15 per cent completely ignore CVs if the job applicant does not have these essential qualifications.

On average employers said they would pay someone a starting salary £1,700 higher (an increase of 17 per cent) if they had five A*-C GCSEs or vocational equivalent, compared to someone without these qualifications plus experience.

Close to eight in 10 (79 per cent) employers believe that applicants without good GCSEs would struggle in their company, with 30 per cent agreeing they would expect them to show less commitment than employees with higher qualifications.