Rishi Sunak’s vision for a ‘British baccalaureate’: Radical education shake-up could ensure pupils study a wider range of subjects after the age of 16
- No 10 plans to compel schoolchildren to study English and maths until age of 18
- Rishi Sunak said move would put England on a par with most OECD countries
Rishi Sunak is planning to radically reform A-levels to ensure pupils study a wider range of subjects after the age of 16.
The Prime Minister is expected to set out proposals for a ‘British baccalaureate’ to move towards a continental-style system of education.
The plans, currently being drawn up in No 10, would also compel schoolchildren to study English and maths until the age of 18.
No final decision has been taken on whether to execute the reforms, though the Prime Minister is believed to champion the plans as part of his pledge to address the ‘bigger, longer-term questions’ facing Britain.
Rishi Sunak announced plans to rectify Britain’s numeracy issues by making all pupils study maths until the age of 18 earlier this year
‘He came back from the summer with a series of things he wanted to move on,’ a senior Conservative source told The Times.
‘A-level reform is a critical part of it.’ Mr Sunak has been keen to herald education reform as one of the pillars of his premiership.
Earlier this year, he announced plans to rectify Britain’s numeracy issues by making all pupils study maths until the age of 18.
No 10 said the move would put England on a par with most OECD countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Norway and the US.
The plans, currently being drawn up in No 10, would also compel schoolchildren to study English and maths until the age of 18 (file image)
He had described education as the ‘silver bullet’ in public policy to improve lives and described it as the ‘single most important reason’ why he entered politics.
Last year, education minister Robert Halfon said: ‘The advantage of the British baccalaureate is it will mean that students have a much wider curriculum so they get the skills that they need and employers want.’
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