Scottish pupils 'forced to take subjects they hate'

Timetabling of courses with clashes between popular subjects was the most frequently cited reason for a child missing out.

And the most frequently quoted impact was that pupils had to sit subjects they were either not interested in or which were not relevant to their future university or career plans.

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A separate committee survey of pupils found 56 per cent saying they had not been able to take all the subjects they wanted to.

A report to the committee on the survey findings said: “Of those respondents that referred to the consequences of not being able to take all their desired subjects, the most common impact mentioned was that they had taken a subject they did not want to study.

“Some respondents wrote that the subject they ended up studying was one that they disliked or even hated.”

The report, compiled by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, noted pupils used phrases such as ‘forced to take’ or ‘had to take’ when describing the issue.

It said: “It is not just that they ultimately took a course they did not wish to study, but that they had considered they had no choice in the outcome.”

Last week, a report by the Reform Scotland think tank found the number of National 4 and National 5 qualifications on offer is in decline.

READ MORE: Subject choice 'continues to decline'

A majority of schools now only offer six subjects in the fourth year of secondary school compared to eight or nine a few years ago. In contrast, private schools are continuing to offer up to nine.

The Scottish Government argues Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) provides greater flexibility and allows schools to design a more tailored education for pupils - including courses that don’t necessarily result in formal qualifications.

Because more pupils are staying on until sixth year, ministers argue that gives them more time to study qualifications as they move up through school.

But critics argue the structure of CfE means pupils study fewer qualifications in S4, which has led to a fall in the take-up of subjects such as languages and sciences.

Teacher shortages are also limiting the number of subjects pupils can choose.

In the parent survey, which involved more than 370 families, the most frequently mentioned subject level was National 5, followed by Higher.

The subjects most commonly referred to as being difficult to study were music, Spanish, computer science, German, French, physics, geography, biology, modern studies and drama.

Respondents also referred to negative emotional impacts on their children saying it made them disillusioned, unenthusiastic, apprehensive, worried, disappointed, demotivated, bored, frustrated, angry, disaffected and stressed.

The most frequently cited impact by parents was that their child was taking a subject they were not interested in or which was not relevant to future options.
attend school.

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Joanna Murphy, chairwoman of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, said members had been "very clear" about the negative impact of placing limitations on subject choices through the "column choices" model.

She said: "They feel it is negatively affecting their children, as they can be forced into taking "make-do" choices.

"Clearly, this can never result in better learning and can lead to children becoming less engaged with school than they could have been.

"Many parents described situations where children were unable to take subjects they had a clear aptitude or interest in because of timetable clashes."

Eileen Prior, executive director of parent body Connect, added: "Shortages of subject qualified teachers and cuts leading to a reduction in the range of subjects expected were issues highlighted.

"This, combined with inflexible approaches to timetabling and the well-documented challenges of recruiting and maintaining subject specialists, mean the ideal of CfE is still a long way away."

A Scottish Government spokesman said CfE gave schools the freedom to design a three-year curriculum tailored to meet their needs.

He added: "Almost two-thirds now leave school in S6 and what matters is the qualifications and awards that pupils leave with, not what they study in a single year.

“Wherever possible schools should ensure young people can choose their preferred subjects in the senior phase, working with partners to make their offer as broad as possible.

"Young people also now have opportunities to study towards a much broader range of qualifications, not just at school, but also at college and through apprenticeships.”