by Our News Desk

GOVERNMENT plans to force all teenagers to focus on “traditional academic subjects” ran into more trouble yesterday as school leaders gave them the cold shoulder.

Nearly nine in 10 members of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) surveyed said they disagreed with the Tory fixation on the English baccalaureate (EBacc), which requires schools to make all pupils study English, maths, science, a language and history or geography up to GCSE level.

Of the 87 per cent of heads who expressed hostility to the Department for Education (DfE) favoured model, 81 per cent believed that the subject range was too inflexible. Some 86 per cent said it would leave less room for creative or vocational subjects.

“It is clear from our survey that the vast majority of school leaders are concerned that the current proposals are too rigid and will restrict their ability to offer a curriculum which suits the needs of all their pupils,” the union’s deputy general secretary Malcolm Trobe explained.

A DfE spokesman rejected the idea that the EBacc reduces take-up of creative and vocational subjects as a “myth,” but the ASCL’s findings echo widespread concerns about the reforms across the teaching profession.

National Union of Teachers (NUT) general secretary Christine Blower said recently: “No-one is saying that studying these core subjects is a bad thing. What we’re saying is: Find the space for drama, art, music, PE and design & technology (DT).”

Statistics show that the number of art and DT teachers has shrunk by 11 per cent since 2010, while there are 8 per cent fewer drama teachers.

• If you are concerned by the threat to creative and vocational subjects join the campaign to reform the English baccalaureate at www.baccforthefuture.com