A few reactions to the Education white paper published recently:

"The government has once again underlined its commitment to academic above vocational education." - John Brennan, chief executive of the Association of Colleges

John Hood, vice-chancellor of Oxford, .. said the university "would not typically recognise vocational qualifications" in its selection procedures.

"What the local economy needs are young people with the right skills for economic regeneration - and that's not an A-level in history." - Di Macevoy-Robinson, principal of West Nottinghamshire College.

"The reason that GCSEs and A-levels are seen as the gold standard is because they have been around such a long time. Employers, parents and students all understand their exact value because they are familiar with them. By contrast, vocational qualifications are constantly being reinvented by different governments. So no one is ever sure quite what any qualification means, or even if it will still be recognised a few years down the line." - Marilyn Hawkins, principal of Barnet College.

Could it be that parity of esteem between vocational and academic education is an unrealisable liberal dream? Despite their better defined vocational options, the French and German middle classes are no more happy about their children abandoning their academic studies than our own appear to be. - John Crace, Guardian journalist.