A committee of MPs has criticised Ruth Kelly for refusing to back the main findings of the Tomlinson review of education for 14 to 19-year-olds.

The education secretary has rejected plans for a school-leaver's diploma to replace GCSEs and A Levels.

Such a move was the central recommendation of former chief schools inspector Mike Tomlinson, who had been charged with devising a "unified framework of qualifications" for children of all abilities.

In a report released on Thursday, the Commons education committee acknowledged that plans to phase in the diploma system over 10 years would have been "fraught with difficulties".

But the MPs said it understood the disappointment of educationalists that Kelly was not ready to implement more radical reform of schooling of 14 to 19-year-olds.

"We urge that the matter of integration of GCSEs, A Levels and vocational qualifications within a unified diploma be kept under review," the report said.

However the committee was split on its report, with Conservative member Nick Gibb voting to welcome Kelly's decision to save A Levels and GCSEs.

"The abolition of the traditional qualifications would have been an unnecessary distraction sowing confusion about the value of exams," he said.

But the report did warn that the weakness of existing provisions for vocational education was "a serious problem".

Committee chairman Barry Sheerman said: "The government had been criticised for failing to implement Tomlinson in full, but implementation was always going to be fraught with difficulty.

"To have set out to bring in the unified diploma but to have failed could have seriously damaged confidence in the education system.

"We did agree, though, that the question of integration of GCSEs, A Levels and vocational qualifications within a unified diploma should be kept under review."

Skill levels

The government argues that if skill levels in the workforce do not improve, the economy will suffer.

It says improved work skills bring benefits to the individual as well as the country as a whole.

However, the committee said it was undecided on whether improving skills for individuals and the benefit of the nation was a matter for the education sector or for business.

But it said employers should be involved in helping develop a system of vocational education which meets their needs.

And the committee also said that unless attention is paid to other productivity drivers such as enterprise, innovation, competition and investment, then resources put into education will not deliver the productive economy that is needed.

Liberal Democrat committee member Paul Holmes said the conclusion "adds to the chorus of opinion that the government bottled out of much needed reform of 14 to 19 education".

"The Tomlinson committee proposals presented an incredible opportunity to end the divide between academic and vocational education," he said.

"The fact remains that world class vocational education cannot be provided on the cheap.  Co-ordination of timetables, teaching staff and transport between schools and colleges needs proper planning and proper funding.

"Without a government commitment to fundamental reform of the 14 to 19 curriculum or to closing the funding gap between schools and colleges it is hard to see how world class skills can be developed."