Written question asked by Baroness Coussins (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Hill of Oareford (Conservative) on Wednesday, 2 March 2011.

Education: Languages

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take account of alternative accreditation to a languages GCSE when awarding the English Baccalaureate.

Answer: For the 2010 performance tables only accredited GCSEs or iGCSEs counted towards the English Baccalaureate measure. The English Baccalaureate has been designed to give pupils the opportunity to study a core group of academic subjects—English, mathematics, a humanity, the sciences and a language. The Government are concerned that the number of pupils who currently receive a broad education in core academic subjects is far too small, particularly for pupils in disadvantaged areas. We want to encourage more pupils to study these subjects and to open up opportunities for all pupils to have a broad and rounded education. Other qualifications remain viable in their own right and we will encourage all pupils to study non-English Baccalaureate subjects and qualifications alongside the core English Baccalaureate in order to benefit from a well-rounded education.

Secondary information