Why students are snubbing history and English literature for A-level choices

Young people in England are studying a “narrower range” of subjects in post-16 education than two decades ago, a report has suggested.

Subjects in humanities and arts have seen the biggest fall in take-up for A-levels, according to the National National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

Students are now increasingly choosing from a single subject, says the group, which fears the decisions will have an impact on what skills young people will take into the wider world.

The findings have been published as students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to get their A-level results on Thursday.

The decoupling of AS and A-levels in England – where reformed AS levels no longer count towards a full A-level – has “likely played a key role” in reducing subject diversity, the study by the NFER said.

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The NFER report – commissioned by the British Academy – showed a sharp reduction in the range of subjects chosen since 2015/16 when the process of separating AS and A-level qualifications began.

Michael Scott, NFER senior economist and lead author of the report, said: “Young people are studying a narrower range of subjects, which is probably due, at least in part, to reforms introduced over the last two decades.

“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.”

Molly Morgan Jones, director of policy at the British Academy, warned that a failure to address a decline in humanities and arts subjects would have “knock-on effects” for the subjects in universities and “on the skills young people take out into the workforce and the wider world”.

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

The proportion of students taking history dropped from 21 per cent to 15 per cent.

The report revealed that more students are choosing to exclusively study AS and A-levels in the same subject group – such as all science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

“The curriculum and assessment review will bring together leading education experts, leaders and staff to transform the outdated curriculum and assessment system.

“The renewed curriculum will ensure young people get the opportunity to access a broad and balanced curriculum, as well as crucial work and life skills, providing the foundation to succeed in both the workplace and throughout their lives.”