Asked by
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of
the teaching of creative subjects in schools since the
introduction of the English Baccalaureate.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Education () (Con)
My Lords, the Government remain committed to ensuring that all
pupils receive a high-quality cultural education as part of a
broad curriculum. This starts during the early years and
continues in school, with art and design, design and technology
and music all forming part of the national curriculum from age
five to 14. The percentage of young people entering at least one
arts GCSE between 2010 and 2021 has remained broadly stable.
(LD)
The Minister will be aware that since the introduction of the
EBacc in schools, there has been and is a creativity crisis—for
example, in music there has been a 16.83% fall in A-levels—and
there has been a 31.47% fall in students taking those subjects.
Obviously, that has a pipeline into universities and only one
university now has an English professor. I want to ask the
Minister a direct question—no ands, ifs or buts. If it is not the
English baccalaureate that is causing the crisis in creative
subjects, what is the reason?
(Con)
We simply do not accept that there is a crisis in creative
subjects. The noble Lord rightly quoted some data, but I point
out that the percentage of students taking art and design at GCSE
is up from 26.5% to 30.4%. He is right that there have been
declines in some other subjects, but he will also be aware that
the numbers taking vocational and technical qualifications have
gone up very substantially, particularly in media: since 2018 the
figures for media have risen from 4,500 to 55,000 students.
The (CB)
My Lords, despite what the Minister says, the message clearly
being sent out via EBacc to teachers, parents and children is
that creative subjects are of lesser worth, a message independent
schools are ignoring. Is the Minister aware that there is five
times greater spend on music in independent schools than in state
schools, including academies? Does the Minister agree that this
is bad for levelling up, bad for education and bad for our future
economy, a key aspect of which will be the creative industries,
as independent schools know full well?
(Con)
The department does not track the expenditure on these subjects
in independent schools. What the department is committed to, and
restated in the schools White Paper yesterday, is that every
child should have a rich cultural education, and we will be
publishing a new cultural education plan jointly with DCMS next
year.
of Hudnall (Lab)
My Lords, the noble Baroness’s credentials regarding personal
commitment to these issues are impeccable, both in this role and
the role she held previously at the DCMS; however, the evidence
is against her. As the noble Earl, , has just said, there is an
impact not only on students in schools but on the workforce both
within education and in the creative industries more widely, as
there is a decline in the numbers of people prepared to take
forward qualifications in music, drama and other creative
subjects, Does she worry at all that the much-vaunted creative
industries, of which she and her colleagues frequently speak with
pride, will be suffering over the coming years as a result of
these policies?
(Con)
I thank the noble Baroness for her question and her kind remarks
but I just cannot accept what she suggests. As she points out, we
have thriving cultural and creative industries in this country.
We have enough teachers entering initial teacher training for art
and design and drama, well above our recruitment targets. We are
committing more funding in T-levels, in media, broadcast and
production, and in craft and design, so I think we are building
the platform for our creative industries and our children to
thrive.
(Con)
My Lords, are the Government not deeply concerned that their own
official data shows that the number of hours of music taught in
years 7 to 13 has fallen sharply in the last 12 years? In view of
this and of comments of the noble Earl, , and others, is it not all
the more important that independent schools work closely with
their maintained sector colleagues to increase still further the
655 music partnership schemes from which students in both sectors
benefit so greatly?
(Con)
We very much welcome the partnerships from the independent sector
in music and many other areas, and my noble friend is right to
highlight them. However, we also have a responsibility and an
ambition to make sure that our children have a strong music
education, which is why we will be publishing our updated
national plan shortly.
(CB)
Does the Minister agree that, if we are to create a world of
resilient workers in the next generation, we need to look at how
we create these people through a resilient education system? We
are in a bigger crisis than we believe. We need to reinvent a
holistic form of education, because that is how the world’s
businesses are going.
(Con)
The noble Lord raises a large, broad and important issue. Of
course we need a resilient education system and resilient
children, and in the announcements in our schools White Paper and
the special educational needs and disability Green Paper
published this morning, we have set out exactly how we plan to do
that.
(Lab)
My Lords, I taught creative subjects for over 30 years and, as
principal examiner for A-level theatre studies for much of that
time, I saw a wealth of talent studying this subject across the
UK. It is essential that we promote the creative arts in our
schools. They nurture well-rounded students and bring a breadth
and depth to their learning. In hard cash terms, according to
DCMS analysis, the creative industries contribute almost £116
billion a year to the UK. If, for example, the current decline in
A-level music that many noble Lords have mentioned continues,
this subject could have zero entrants in 10 years’ time. What, if
anything, are the Government doing to reverse this appalling
decline?
(Con)
At the risk of repeating myself, we have announced that we will
publish a cultural education plan together with DCMS, working
jointly across government, which is the right way to approach it.
We will shortly announce our national plan for music education.
We are doing a lot of work and continue to invest around £115
million per year in cultural education.
(LD)
My Lords, the Minister has told us on numerous occasions that the
Government like to listen to employers. When Netflix
representatives came to speak to my group, I asked them what they
wanted in trainees and whether they wanted people with more
English and maths. They looked blankly at me and said, “No,
that’s not what we are looking for. We want more rounded people.”
Will the Government follow their own mantra and make sure they
talk to the big employers, who do not seem to want what the
Government are offering?
(Con)
The Government work extremely closely with employers. Our T-level
programme was developed with over 250 employers. I would ask the
noble Lord why we are seeing such huge international investment
in our film and creative industries if we are not providing the
talented people they need.
(Con)
My Lords, would my noble friend care to reflect on the importance
of citizenship education in levelling up and creating a country
at ease with itself? Will she join me in regretting that
yesterday’s White Paper said nothing about citizenship education
at all?
(Con)
Citizenship education is absolutely a core part of what we
deliver. In defence of the White Paper, we were setting out the
major new elements of our plan for the next several years, but
citizenship remains a core part of it.
(Lab)
My Lords, first-hand experience of the arts can be life enhancing
and life changing. Therefore, will the Minister encourage her
department to do all it can to ensure that background and income
levels are not a barrier to physically accessing the arts?
(Con)
To the extent that it is within my gift, I will do my best.
(CB)
My Lords, last week, the Incorporated Society of Musicians
published a report entitled Music: A Subject in Peril?, based on
a survey of more than 500 music teachers. Some 93% of respondents
said that the EBacc and/or Progress 8 had caused huge damage to
music in schools, resulting in courses not running and music
departments shrinking. What reassurance can the Minister give
that the refreshed national plan for music education will address
these issues and that teachers will be consulted on it before it
is published?
(Con)
The national plan has been developed with an expert panel, of
which the noble Lord is aware, and that panel consulted
extensively during its work—through forums, surveys and other
mechanisms—with teachers, students, parents and other experts. We
very much look forward to its publication.
