The (CB): My Lords,
does the Minister agree that skilled design is essential for our
technical trades and creative industries? As the Government are
correctly putting an emphasis on technical education, are they
not concerned about the significant fall in take-up of GCSE and
A-level design subjects, with a recent Association of School and
College Leaders survey showing a drop of 44% over the past year
alone in the number of schools offering GCSE design and
technology? Will the Government address these concerns, and if
so, how?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
for Education (Lord Nash): My Lords, the figures for
pupil number decline in D&T GCSE have fallen less in the past
six years than in the three previous years up until 2010, so we
have arrested the decline. We have introduced computer science
for the first time. The number interested in that subject last
year along with a substantial increase in IT entries considerably
more than make up for the decline in D&T. Of course, as the
noble Earl has mentioned, I do not think that anyone can doubt
our commitment to technical education given the passing in your
Lordships’ House yesterday of the Technical and Further Education
Bill. New courses will be based on groups of occupations within
the 15 framework routes, which will include creative and
design.
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