Students going to university with EEE grades at A-levels is “lunacy”, an education minister has said as he warns it is “madness” but the Government has to “suck it up”.

Lord Agnew, the minister for school systems, said that the voices “screaming for lowering standards” in higher education are “relentless”.

Speaking at an education conference at Brighton College, he said: “Why are we letting kids go to university with three E’s at A-levels? I mean, why? It’s lunacy.

“But unfortunately there’s a body of people out there because they then never have to pick up the tab for the results of that kind of madness that’s the problem.

“And so, as a government you just have to suck it up basically and just keep plodding forward and that’s what we do.”

His comments come amid growing concern that universities are admitting too many students who are not suited to the academic rigours of higher education.

There is now fierce competition among universities to attract students, with top institutions prepared to drastically lower their entry grades to entice school-leavers.

The lifting of student number controls in England in 2015 gave universities free rein to recruit as many undergraduates as they see fit.