TORY idealogical dogma has led to a sharp reduction in the take-up of humanities subjects at A-level, the National Education Union (NEU) has said.

A report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found that post-16 students in England are studying a narrower range of subjects than 20 years ago, warning this could limit their future education and career options.

The research shows that while 56 per cent of AS or A-level students studied a humanities subject in 2015/16, only 38 per cent of students did so in 2021/22.

Published ahead of tomorrow’s A-level results, the report said the separation of AS and A-level qualifications in 2015/16 may have led to fewer students studying humanities subjects like languages, English and history.

NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney said the Tories had ignored widespread criticisms over their plans to decouple AS and A-levels, and created the “perfect policy storm” for stunting curriculum breadth with the creation of the English baccalaureate (EBacc) qualification at 16.

“These consequences were foreseeable and avoidable but unfortunately for the students concerned, ideological dogma was prioritised over ensuring they could access the widest range of subjects possible,” she said.

“Only by eliminating the EBacc and facilitating a broader, more flexible post-16 route will this be achieved.” 

NFER senior economist and report lead author, Michael Scott, said: “It is critical that future reforms to the post-16 landscape carefully consider possible impacts on the nature and the range of subjects that students choose.”

Dr Molly Morgan Jones, director of policy at the British Academy, which commissioned the report, added: “The school curriculum should be interconnected and equitable, allowing and encouraging all students from all backgrounds to study a range of disciplines.

“Our students’ skills, and our societal growth, depend on it.”