Industry News
State school students 'damaging their prospects'
Posted on 20th March 2008
The Conservative Party has warned students against taking "soft" subjects at A-level, saying that over ten per cent of pupils are damaging their long-term prospects.
Subjects such as film and media studies, travel and tourism and dance are considered by some to be less academically rigorous than more traditional subjects such as history or chemistry and as a result, a number of universities are loathe to accept pupils with more than one A-level in those areas.
Many independent schools therefore do not offer those subjects, or only allow their pupils to take one "soft" A-level.
During a recent session of parliament the government admitted that in 2006-07 almost 24,000 students aged 16 to 19 studied at least two less challenging courses, according to the Times.
The newspaper reported shadow schools secretary Michael Gove as saying: "Too many young people are being short-changed by taking subjects less valued by employers and universities, and this tends to affect poorer pupils in state schools most."
Previously the director general of the Russell Group, which represents the country's top universities, advised pupils not to "close off their options" by taking too many "soft" subjects at A-level.