Students at a Liverpool academy are being 'punished for being smart', it has been claimed.
Pupils in the top two sets in year nine at the all boys West Derby School are being enrolled into the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) scheme as they prepare for their GCSE studies. As part of this, parents are concerned that their children are not getting to make choices to suit their own future.
The EBacc programme requires the studying of subjects including English, Maths, Science, history or geography, plus a modern foreign language. It was introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in 2010.
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One parent claimed that this limits the choices for the pupils as they seek to identify routes into their future career. The mum, who asked not to be named, said: “For the boys in sets one and two, two of their options are already eaten up by Spanish and History and Geography.
“My son like many others, doesn't want to do a language and wanted to pick options relevant to what he wants to do when he leaves school. West Derby School have barely communicated with parents about this despite numerous emails from myself and others, and they even have gone as far as telling them how "ungrateful" and "uncultured" they are.”
In a document from the school seen by the LDRS, West Derby School claims that it is acting within guidelines set by the government and the qualification “keeps young people’s options open for further study and future careers.” The concerned parent said: “I can appreciate how learning a language would be beneficial, but that doesn't give them the right to not give them the choice.
“I don't think the EBacc scheme is particularly beneficial. It isn't recognised by universities and certainly isn't needed for anything vocational, which subsequently my son wants to pursue once he leaves school.
“This isn’t being taken into account. It isn't fair that such a burden is being put on 14-year-old kids and stripping them of the choices that they have earned in the process.”
The UK Government's ambition is to see 75% of pupils studying the EBacc subject combination at GCSE by this year, and 90% by 2025.
A spokesperson for West Derby School said it was working hard to “ensure the best outcomes for its pupils while managing expectations from government and the shift in its policy to delivering the English Baccalaureate. The statement added: “As with all schools, we cannot offer bespoke education to meet the demands of a minority and must operate within the constraints of our state funding and resources.
“We continue to have a dialogue with engaging parents as an inclusive community. We welcome views and respect differing opinions. We do not recognise any alleged intimidation and must state that we broadly enjoy an incredibly supportive school community that recognises the significant work done to ensure our boys achieve the best.”
