Extract from The Guardian
Number of GCSE music and drama students fell by a fifth over last decade, research finds
Schools in England face a “creativity crisis” with the number of creative arts students and teachers down by as much as a fifth in some subjects after a decade of underinvestment, Labour has warned.
Pupils’ engagement in the creative arts is considered by many to be a key factor in their recovery from the pandemic yet, according to Labour, specific government funding for music, arts and cultural programmes will equate to just £9.40 per pupil this year.
New analysis of government data shows that the number of GCSE music and drama students has fallen by a fifth over the last decade, Labour says, a trend mirrored by a drop in the number of drama teachers.