Norfolk teacher says apprenticeships could incentivise students to study a wider set of subjects
While 56% of AS or A-level students studied a humanities subject in 2015/16, only 38% studied one in 2021/22
A teacher in Norwich is telling us that an increase in the availability of apprenticeships could incentivise students to choose a wider variety of subjects to study at A-level.
It comes as research from a national education charity shows that more A-level students are only studying one type of subjects, like Stem sciences, than two decades ago.
"Difficult for the vast majority of pupils to get into"
Scott Lyons also works for the National Education Union, in Norfolk: "The days of the broad, general education are really declining now.
"A-level leaders are quite cynically trying to get the top grades which are becoming increasingly hard to get. Students are therefore being encouraged to take on subjects that could result in them getting a job at the end of it.
"If this narrowing continues, we're just going to have a funnelling of pupils who are all trying to get into a very narrow range of university spaces.
"It's something that will make these courses increasingly competitive and difficult for the vast majority of pupils to get into."
The numbers in more detail:
This report by National Foundation for Educational Research - commissioned by the British Academy - showed a sharp reduction in the range of subjects chosen since 2015/16 when the process of separating AS and A-level qualifications began.
The change has affected the take-up of humanities and arts subjects in post-16 education which the paper said risks "having profound impacts on the future shape of these disciplines".
The research showed that while 56% of AS or A-level students studied a humanities subject in 2015/16, only 38% studied one in 2021/22.
Nearly a fifth (19%) of AS or A-level students took English literature in 2015/16, declining to 11% in 2021/22.
The proportion of students taking history dropped from 21% to 15%.
The report revealed that more students are choosing to exclusively study AS and A-levels in the same subject group - such as all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects, or all social science subjects.
The proportion of students taking AS or A-levels from a single subject group increased from 21% to 35% between 2015/16 and 2021/22.
The subject choices available to students have also narrowed over the past two decades, according to the report.
The proportion of providers offering French AS or A-level has fallen from 78% in 2009/10 to 54% in 2021/22.
What's the Government said on this?
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
"High and rising standards are at the heart of the Government's mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.
"The curriculum and assessment review will bring together leading education experts, leaders and staff to transform the outdated curriculum and assessment system.
"The renewed curriculum will ensure young people get the opportunity to access a broad and balanced curriculum, as well as crucial work and life skills, providing the foundation to succeed in both the workplace and throughout their lives."