Schools go backwards: Pupils are worse at maths and literacy than their grandparents

England is the only developed country producing school leavers who are worse at maths and reading than their grandparents, according to a damning report.

The study found 16 to 24-year-olds are among the least literate and numerate in the world, lagging behind those in countries including Estonia, Poland and the Slovak Republic.

England came 22nd out of 24 countries for the reading skills of its young people and 21st for maths, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The figures showed many Japanese school leavers are more advanced than English university graduates.

The OECD said England was the only country where the oldest age group studied (55-65) had a higher proficiency in literacy and numeracy than the youngest (16-24) after other factors such as sex, socio-economic background and type of occupation were taken into account.

The organisation warned England would struggle with competitors in global markets unless urgent action was taken.