Education written question – answered at on 30 January 2012.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will consider including (a) music and (b) other intellectually rigorous, creative and technical subjects within a sixth pillar of the English Baccalaureate.
The English Baccalaureate recognises schools' and pupils' GCSE achievements in a core set of academic subjects. The subjects included in the English Baccalaureate are those most commonly required at A level for entry onto leading universities' courses; some of these subjects—languages, history and geography—have been in decline and the Government want more pupils to have the opportunity to study them.
We do not want schools to restrict pupils' options to just this academic core. The composition of the English Baccalaureate has been kept small to allow for additional study including music and intellectually rigorous technical and creative subjects. We have no immediate plans to change the composition of the English Baccalaureate but will keep its composition under review, and continue to monitor its impact on GCSE subject choices, including by reviewing GCSE entries in 2012.
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No1 person thinks not
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