PUPILS from a County Durham state school who raised concerns about the fairness of GCSEs introduced by the Conservative government have been “proved right”, a North-East MP says.

New figures released in parliamentary answers suggest private school pupils are being given an unfair advantage as they are able to sit easier international GCSEs (IGCSE) instead of the newer, rigorous ‘gold standard’ GCSEs.

Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson backed pupils from Newton Aycliffe’s Greenfield Community College in January, 2017, when they launched a petition calling for equality for GCSE English between state and independent sectors.

As a result of new data, the Labour Party is now demanding an inquiry into the reforms. Leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “We cannot have an education system with different rules for the privileged few who can afford a private education.”

The Department for Education (DfE) has acknowledged the newer GCSEs, introduced as part of Tory education reforms, are tougher.

Figures in response to parliamentary questions tabled by Labour MP Lucy Powell show 23,712 of the 26,042 IGCSE entries in core (Ebacc) subjects such as English, maths and the sciences were in independent schools in 2017/18.

The independent sector educates about 6.5 per cent of school children in the UK.

And while state schools can still choose to enter IGCSEs, they are no longer recognised in league tables.

IGCSEs are nevertheless still recognised by universities and colleges, which critics say give private school pupils an unfair advantage onto the career ladder.

In 2017 Mr Wilson presented the Newton Aycliffe pupils’ petition to parliament and wrote to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards, calling for a “level playing field” for all.

He said: “They brought it to our attention and they have been proved right. I want to see all young people get as far in life as they can. "I could see the glaring inequality and now that we have the data I’m pleased the front bench of the Labour Party is taking it up.”

The Department for Education was approached for a comment.