A college principal has backed Government plans to shake-up the education system which could lead to A-levels being scrapped.

Phil Frier, principal of Park College in Kings Drive, Eastbourne, said the UK attached too much importance to exams.

He welcomed proposals to look at introducing a Baccalaureate-type exam to replace the 50-year-old A-level qualification.

Education Secretary Charles Clarke has also said the compulsory curriculum for GCSE students will be trimmed.

It will no longer be obligatory to study foreign languages or design and technology. Teenagers will have to take only maths, English and science.

Mr Frier said there was a vocational-academic divide plaguing the UK's education system, which was affecting economic growth.

He said: "We are far too exam-orientated in this country compared to other developed nations.

"It is perhaps no wonder many of our youngsters are disenchanted.

"These proposals will give schools and colleges a chance to motivate students and offer them more relevant and challenging learning opportunities."