I was disappointed to see the support the English Baccalaureate received on BBC’s Question Time, but even more saddened to read the editor of The TES suggest it was “common sense” and that we should “accept it and move on” (“It got off to a truly terrible start, but that shouldn’t blind us to virtues of EBac”, January 21).

Let’s not pretend the EBac represents a broad and balanced curriculum or a well-rounded education for our young people. We have a national curriculum that does just that, developing not only the generic skills that employers want and society needs but also offering a truly broad and balanced experience for young people - including areas such as the arts, which the EBac simply ignores.

Yes, there are concerns that our present educational experience allows young people to leave behind key aspects of their learning post-14. But these are concerns that are enhanced by the narrowness of the EBac and certainly not solved by it. How commentators can perceive that the EBac is broad and balanced is beyond belief.

The EBac is simply political spin; a pretence that grouping a few GCSEs together represents a new vision. So please, let’s not “just accept it”.

Robin Widdowson, Independent learning consultant.