Local MP Stephen Metcalfe has
welcomed the news that the number of students in South Basildon and East
Thurrock studying core academic subjects has risen by 50% since 2010 thanks to
the Government’s English Baccalaureate (EBacc).
In 2010 only 23% of pupils in
the local area studied for the EBacc, but this rose to 35% in 2013, an increase
of 50%. The number of students achieving the qualification has risen
accordingly and currently stands at 21%, a rise of 80%.
Pupils achieve the EBacc if
they get a C or better in the core subjects of English, maths, history or
geography, the sciences, and a language. These are the subjects most valued by
universities and employers. This is the first year that the effects of the
EBacc are fully reflected in the tables.
Mr Metcalfe commented: “Under
the last Labour Government the number of students sitting exams in these
crucial academic subjects halved. Thanks to this Government’s reforms, the
number of young people in South Basildon and East Thurrock studying the core
subjects has soared.”
“This is part of our
long-term plan to create an education system that gives young people who want
to work hard the skills they need to prosper and fulfill their potential.”
