Teens 'are choosing employer-friendly A-levels'

Those with jobs in education may be interested to hear sixth-form students are reported to be opting for subjects, which they hope will impress universities and future recruiters.

Speaking to the Guardian, Mike Cresswell, chief executive of the AQA exam board, said "the dreaded words credit crunch" may be a factor for many teenagers when choosing their A-levels.

Recently released government figures had shown the numbers of sixth-formers completing general studies, computing and drama qualifications had fallen by nine, seven and one per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, this year saw the number of students taking further maths rise by 15 per cent while those opting for an economics A-level increased by 13 per cent.

However, Mr Cresswell told the paper the figures should not be used as a measure of how challenging a subject is: "There isn't an easy option at A-level."

Last week saw school staff praised by the Joint Council for Qualifications as sixth-form results hit a new record.

Jim Sinclair, the council's director, said the results were "the outcome of hard work of students and teachers, who deserve to be congratulated".



Published On 24/08/2009