The UK government has accepted a report recommending the scrapping of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), a qualification introduced in 2010 that required students to take seven GCSEs in core subjects like maths and languages but excluded arts subjects. Under the proposed new system, arts GCSEs would be given equal status to humanities and languages, allowing students more flexibility. The review was commissioned by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and led by Professor Becky Francis of the Education Endowment Foundation.
This matters because the EBacc has been blamed for a 42% drop in arts GCSE participation over 15 years, making arts education accessible mainly to privileged students who could afford extracurricular lessons. Campaigners and the Cultural Policy Unit, led by former Art Newspaper editor Alison Cole, have welcomed the change as a major step toward reducing inequality and restoring arts and culture as a core part of a rounded education for all children. The report also recommends a Childhood Arts Guarantee to ensure every child experiences key artistic and cultural activities.