School pupils who fail to achieve a grade C or better in their maths and English exams at GCSE level will be required to continue studying the key subjects moving forward, under new regulations that come into play this term. 

In the past, pupils have been able to drop these subjects after GCSE level regardless of how well they performed. However, after employers warned that those who do not have GCSEs in these subjects are struggling when it comes to the working world, the government has moved to change the rules. 

Under new regulations, those who do not pass GCSEs in the key subjects will be told that they need to take them until they are 18, with education secretary Michael Gove saying they are a requirement in later life as the ones "employers demand before all others".

But what will this mean for the education sector? While head teachers have backed the move and say it is important for people to get the skills taught in these subjects at GCSE level, they said recruitment of teachers will need to pick up in order to provide enough staff numbers to cope. 

It's estimated that there will need to be as many as 1,000 more teachers in both maths and English to help meet the levels of demand from pupils who would previously have stopped learning the subjects at 16 regardless of their progress. 

Joy Mercer, director of policy at the Association of Colleges, added: "Young people, who have often tried to succeed at maths and English more than once, need the most experienced teachers to motivate them, not those who have just left a university course."

Skills minister Matthew Hancock said the new rules were more about continuing the development of students as opposed to re-examination. 

"For those who fail to get a C at GCSE, it's a huge impairment to their future life, their ability to participate not just in work but also as a citizen," he added.