In his blog “EBC or EBac, it’s as clear as mud” (TES Big Ed Blog, bit.ly11NS6w3, 17 January), William Stewart has drawn attention to a seeming “confusion” between the English Baccalaureate (EBac) performance measure, the proposed qualification and the new certificates intended to replace GCSEs. However, in the House of Lords debate last Monday it was clear that Baroness Perry and Baroness Garden used this as a smokescreen to detract from the salient argument - which is that both the present performance measure (a trial run for reform) and the proposed EBac formal qualification have already effected and will further consolidate the operation of a two-tier system, with arts subjects relegated - as other subjects are - to a second division. This was the view of every other speaker in the debate (14 out of 16), an overwhelming thumbs down to the EBac system as it is currently formulated.

Earl of Clancarty, House of Lords.