It has been confirmed that the number of students taking music GCSE exams in 2022 is at an all-time low.

According to details released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) 2022 marked a new low point in students taking the examinations since records were first collated over 20 years ago.

Decline

The data showed that music GCSE entry figures had fallen by 3.6% since last year. In the last decade it was a 19% decline, and a 27% drop since 2010.

Only 34,130 students took the Summer 2022 exam. In 2010 over 46,000 took the exams.

Art and design, drama, performing and expressive arts all suffered a marked decline. In contrast there were marked increases in statistics, citizen studies, social science studies and business studies.

Worrying

In a report on the Classic fm website, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) stated that he felt that this "long-term decline"in the creative arts subjects was "worrying".

This followed a statement on the Association's website in which he wrote: "This is driven by government performance measures which favour traditional academic subjects at the expense of other subjects, and funding pressures which make small classes difficult to sustain."

This will make it even more difficult to sustain small-entry subjects and there is a danger that some of these subjects will largely disappear from the state education systemGeoff Barton

Danger

He added: "Schools now face huge extra cost pressures because of rising energy costs and pay awards for which there is no additional government funding.

This will make it even more difficult to sustain small-entry subjects and there is a danger that some of these subjects will largely disappear from the state education system and become the preserve only of families who are wealthy enough to afford private schools and clubs.

The government must make state education a priority and fund it properly."