The EA in the media: We can be a science and an arts superpower
Instead of promoting a simplistic opposition between the sciences and the arts and supporting one at the the expense of the other, the Government needs to take a more rounded view.
– The Daily Mail (print edition only) 2 July 2021
Falling enrolments on English A levels and degree programmes are a tragedy for our education system and are partly a result of government policy. Boris Johnson wants the UK to become a science superpower but it is already a linguistic and literary one, with the richest literary history of any nation and a language that is spoken all over the world.
Yet far from recognising this and supporting English, the government has undermined it, lumping it among ‘dead-end’ subjects (that unforgivable phrase of the Education Secretary) it tries to put students off. Though not intentional, government reforms to GCSE also hit English hard, removing its vital spoken component and insisting on a narrow literary canon and outdated assessment methods.
Once students get to A level and university, they see all the excitement of the subject, and intellectually it has never been stronger. But fewer and fewer are getting that far. In 2012, English was the most popular A level, taken by 90,000 students. Since then, it has lost a third of its numbers, with a corresponding drop in university applications.
Organisations like The English Association are doing all they can to reverse this trend, explaining the importance of English and encouraging young people to study it. But they need the government’s backing. Instead of promoting a simplistic opposition between the sciences and arts and supporting one at the expense of the other, it needs to take a more rounded view of education.
A modern, flexible workforce needs people who can communicate well, think for themselves and apply imagination to the solving of problems – skills an English degree is built around. English graduates are highly valued by employers, and studying English is a challenging and emotionally enriching experience that transforms lives and opportunities. Politicians, parents and advisors should help us make this case to young people and rebuild this great subject.
David Duff, Chair, The English Association
