Campaigners are blaming the EBacc for the drop and say the figures prove that RE’s statutory position is not enough to ensure the subject is prioritised by schools.
This summer’s examination results for England and Wales combined show that GCSE entries for religious studies fell eight per cent year-on-year from 420,151 to 387,915.
However, entries in England have dropped from 427,642 in 2012 and 390,030 in 2013 to 357,668 this year. While in Wales – where the EBacc does not exist – GCSE entries have increased from 29,591 in 2012 to 30,121 in 2013 and 30,247 this year.
Within the figures for England, there has been an increase in GCSE full courses being taken (216,373 in 2012 to 258,067 in 2014), but a sharp drop in short course GCSEs (211,269 to 99,601).
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here