International Baccalaureate in every town plan ditched

Proposals for every town in the UK to have at least one school or college teaching the International Baccalaureate have been dropped by the government.

Jim Knight, schools minister, said many areas already have a good coverage of International Baccalaureate but the government does not want to force other areas to accredit it.

The International Baccalaureate has become increasingly popular, with many schools offering it as an option in the belief that it provides a broader curriculum than A-levels.

Currently, the qualification is offered in 129 UK schools, more than any other European country.

The decision to drop the proposal, which was suggested by Tony Blair, came as the government announced it was preparing to lose other qualifications, including certain City and Guilds courses.

Yesterday, the government announced an overhaul of qualifications for 14-19-year-olds, which will see "streamlined" system of diplomas creating "comprehensive and coherent qualifications", according to schools secretary Ed Balls.