The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance indicator in England linked to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results. It measures students' attainment by calculating an average score from specified subject grades. The EBacc includes subjects which are studied in many subsequent university programmes.
In order to have an EBacc score for any student, they must take the following subjects at GCSE level:
English Language and English Literature
Mathematics
Either Combined Science or three of (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Physics) Either a Modern or an Ancient Foreign Language Geography or History
The EBacc concept emerged months after the 2010 general election, and has been modified and reduced in ambitions and scope but is still in place in 2020. Its intentions then were; to ensure all age 16 students left with a set of academic qualifications, to strengthen the position of 'core subjects' in schools and to increase social mobility.
Etymology
Though the qualification contains the term baccalaureate, it is not, unlike the French baccalaureate (baccalauréat) or the International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Program), a qualification for entry into universities and tertiary education institutions. To gain access to universities in the United Kingdom and around the world, students are required to study and take exams for GCSEs and GCE Advanced Level or the International Baccalaureate which has increased in popularity in recent years.
History
2011 proposal – Coalition government
The UK Government introduced a new performance indicator called the English Baccalaureate, which measures the percentage of students in a school who achieve 5+ A*-C grades (now five Grades 4 to 9 since the GCSE Reforms) in English, mathematics, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography at GCSE level. The reason for its introduction was to combat the perceived fall in the number of students studying foreign languages and science.
2015 revision
In their election manifesto (14 April 2015), Cameron, the British Conservative Party politician declared that under their office, the UK government would make the English Baccalaureate a compulsory qualification to be completed by every 16 year student in secondary schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. By the time this was put out to consultation by Nicky Morgan in November both the 100% goal and the reasons has changed: For the EBacc to become the "default option" for all pupils, with schools to determine the "small minority of pupils for whom taking the whole EBacc is not appropriate." (The consultation subsequently makes clear that the Government intends that "in time, at least 90% of pupils in mainstream secondary schools should be entered for the EBacc." 26 )
That the proportion of pupils entering the EBacc will become a headline measure of mainstream secondary school performance that would be given a more prominent role in the Ofsted inspection framework. Also, the EBacc entry and attainment data for similar mainstream secondary schools will be published. Computer Science has now been included with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as an acceptable qualification.
2017 revision
On 19 July 2017, the Government published its response to the consultation on Implementing the English Baccalaureate.
75% of year 10 pupils in state-funded mainstream schools will start to study GCSEs in the EBacc combination of subjects by September 2022 with 90% of year 10 pupils studying GCSEs in the EBacc subjects by September 2025. (Sitting the GCSEs) in 2024 and 2027 respectively.
University technical colleges, studio schools and further education colleges with key stage 4 provision will not be included in these targets.
Reaction and discussion
Subject choice: There is a conflict for the school, whether it spends its limited resources on incentivising the EBacc subjects to achieve the government target or on the subjects that are most suitable for the cohort of students. EBacc subjects reflect the subjects favoured for entry by the Russell Group Universities, at the expense of creative subjects such as Music, Art, Performance Arts, and vocational subjects such as Design and Technology. There is debate over the assumption that EBacc subjects actually do facilitate university entry. Teacher supply: Modern foreign language teachers are in short supply, after a government decision to make languages optional in 2005. To make the change suggested would require 2000 extra teachers to teach the extra 7000 hours in each year group.