Rishi Sunak to replace A-levels and T-levels with new qualification

It comes as the PM spoke at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, sharing that he will “bring together A-levels and T-levels into a new, single qualification for our school leavers”.

The qualification is called the “Advanced British Standard” as Sunak shares he hopes it “will finally deliver on the promise of parity of esteem between academic and technical education.

While the Advanced British Standard will be compulsory for all students, it will only be for English students as education is devolved in the UK.

Rishi Sunak to replace A-levels and T-levels with Advanced British Standard

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty on stage. (Image: PA)

In-depth details on what the Advanced British Standard will mean have not yet been shared, but it will be a combination of both A and T Levels.

The PM also added that all students will have to study a form of English and maths until the age of 18.

The new education system is expected to mean that students will spend at least 195 more hours with teachers, according to Sunak.

The Tory leader also added that instead of studying three A-levels, students will now “typically” study five subjects.

Following the announcement of the new  Advanced British Standard qualification, the PM added that teachers of “key subjects” will “receive special bonuses of up to £30,000 tax-free over the first five years of their career”.