Petition Vocational courses

This week it was announced that a large number of vocational courses taught in schools would no longer received the same recognition as gcse's with regard to the point system for league tables. This has forced schools to remove these subjects from their curriculum, as to keep them would reduce their rating. The larger probelm is there are students in every school that do not fit into the academic world and are suited more to vocational subjects. What is thinking behind not giving students the choice to follow their career path and be forced into subject areas they are not interested in? Why remove vocational qualifications that clearly some students are best suited to and could make the difference between them enjoying school or merely putting up with it. Please allow these qualifications to be recognised within the school system and stop thinking that all students are of the same thinking and background.