The idea emerged from a House of Commons Education Select Committee report called Disaffected Children. The committee, chaired by Margaret Hodge, was concerned about what it referred to as the "straitjacket" of the National Curriculum which, although working quite well for a majority of young people, was not working at all for a considerable minority, especially those reaching Key Stage 4 - the 15- and 16-year-olds.
The committee deliberated on various alternatives, including broadening the basis - by accommodating a wider range of forms of achievement - on which school league tables were constructed. This was ultimately rejected on the grounds that schools would start to play a percentage game and allocate young people to the "quickest wins", irrespective of their learning needs.
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