As the coalition's plans to reform GCSEs start to affect schools, Labour has unveiled plans that could cause even more upheaval in the classroom.

The party has outlined its education proposals ahead of the next general election and they include the introduction of a new school-leaver's qualification.

It would be called a National Baccalaureate and give vocational and academic courses equal value. Labour hopes that it could ease the problem of growing youth unemployment by ensuring the qualification would combine existing exams plus the addition of post-GCSE maths and English, skills training and an extended project.

Labour said the National Baccalaureate could also end the reputational divide that currently exists between academic and vocational qualifications, with many teachers and lecturers seeing the two paths as distinct - and often preferring one or the other. 

The progression structure would see all students work towards an intermediate GCSE-level Baccalaureate before moving on to a National Baccalaureate. At this point, each pupil could choose between a Technical Bacc - the vocational route - or a General Bacc, based on A-levels as they stand. Both choices would be weighted equally.

Chairman of the skills taskforce Chris Husbands said: "In Britain, we have a poor record of delivering high skills and effective qualifications for the forgotten 50 per cent: the half of young people for whom the current qualifications regime simply does not deliver.

"The tragedy is that other countries do better. They have more efficient qualifications systems, better vocational education and strong routes through to the labour market."

As well as the National Baccalaureate, Labour wants schools and teachers to do more to address the country's Neets - young people who are not in education, employment or training - problem by tasking them to keep tabs on ex-pupils' future career progression.

If you are looking for a secondary teaching job, what do you feel about the idea of new qualifications? Are they needed? Will they cause more disruption?

Let us know your thoughts.