Graduates are in school-leaver jobs due to poor numeracy and literacy, according to a global figure in education

Tens of thousands of students are graduating from British universities without basic maths or literacy skills, a global figure in education suggested yesterday.

England has almost the highest proportion of graduates in school-leaver jobs of any developed country, and many are in those jobs because they lack basic numeracy and literacy, according to the education director of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which published its annual education report.

Andreas Schleicher said at its launch in London that questions should be raised about quality assurance at British universities. It was astounding, he suggested, that students with poor maths and writing ability were being recruited by universities, let alone graduating.

The report showed that 28 per cent of graduates in England were in jobs requiring