Irrespective of the quality of Michael Gove’s latest idea, its timing is abysmal.

Throughout the county and country, teenagers have been working damned hard with their schools to achieve the best qualifications they can.

They’ve sat exams, agonised over coursework, undergone field trips, and had their skills tested in practical situations, all of which, let’s not forget, are established, authorised and verified by government-approved bodies.

Now, in the middle of the exam season, a leading member of that self-same Government publicly rubbishes their achievements, without a shred of evidence to support his claim.

As any self-respecting GCSE candidate could inform the minister, stridently asserting an opinion is no substitute for rational explanation based upon verifiable facts.

Is it any wonder that youngsters are increasingly contemptuous of such inept political interference in their lives?

David Lewis, Church End, Cawood, Selby.