No room for arts?

In the context of proposed changes to the English education system, the Education Committee has issued an inquiry and call for evidence into the new English Baccalaureate (E-Bac). The Committee will look at the purpose and benefits of the E-Bac and its value as a measure of pupil and school performance; the choice of subjects included in the E-Bac; the implications of the E-Bac for pupils, schools and employers; and international comparators for the E-Bac. The proposed new qualification does not include any arts subject. As part of the reforms, schools’ league tables would be ranked to reflect achievements in E-Bac subjects. There are concerns, raised by the National Campaign for the Arts (NCA) and others, that if the arts are not included in the E-Bac then arts and music courses in secondary schools will be threatened as schools and students focus on the prescribed subjects. The NCA cites current evidence of schools cutting opportunities to study GCSE subjects in music and the arts as they focus more resources on the ‘core’ subjects. The recent Henley review of music education (AP232) calls for music to be one of the subjects that make up the new E-Bac. The Committee asks for written submissions in accordance with the guidelines on its website by noon on 8 March. Responses should be marked ‘E-Bac inquiry’ and can emailed directly to the Education Committee at [email protected]