Sacre bleu! Number of pupils sitting French GCSEs drops by 63%

Sacre bleu! Number of pupils sitting French GCSEs drops by 63% amid fears ‘languages are too difficult’

  • In 2002, almost 600,000 pupils took a foreign language at GCSE level   
  • There was a rise in 2010 when languages were included in ‘EBacc’ qualification  
  • South Tyneside and Poole had drops of more than 40 per cent since 2013 

Languages are dying off in schools, with the number of students studying them at its lowest since the turn of the millennium – when they were still compulsory.

BBC analysis shows the numbers taking foreign languages at GCSE have fallen by as much as 50 per cent in some areas.

In 2002, almost 600,000 pupils took a foreign language GCSE. Two years later, doing so became optional and numbers have duly declined.

Compared with 17 years ago, total numbers have fallen by 45 per cent, although there was a small rise after 2010 when languages were made part of the ‘EBacc’ qualification. 

In 2002, almost 600,000 pupils took a foreign language GCSE. Two years later, doing so became optional and numbers have duly declined (stock image)


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Broken down by subject, there has been a 63 per cent fall for French at GCSE and a 67 per cent fall for German, although numbers have risen for Spanish – and Welsh.

The analysis by area also showed huge localised drops since 2013, with a 50 per cent reduction in Knowsley, Merseyside. 

South Tyneside and Poole had drops of more than 40 per cent, while seven areas, including Wigan, Rochdale and Blackpool had drops of more than 30 per cent.

Many schools told the BBC that the main reason behind the trend was pupils fearing languages are too difficult.

Mike Hill, principal of Carmel College in St Helens, Merseyside, said he had scrapped German because demand was too low, adding he couldn’t ‘justify’ such ‘small classes’.

Carmel College in St Helens, Merseyside, has scrapped German because demand was too low and  could not ‘justify’ such ‘small classes’

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