Cash-strapped schools 'could be forced to axe subjects' - report

Schools could be forced to axe subjects from their timetables to cope with budget cuts, it was reported today.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is reportedly advising schools to look at scrapping courses that are taken by small numbers of students, if they are not cost effective.

The move could hit optional subjects like languages - which are already suffering from a sharp decline in candidates.

ASCL general secretary Brian Lightman told the Times Educational Supplement (TES) that schools will have to consider ditching expensive optional subjects, and it could be "the most able" students that suffer.

He said: "These kinds of management decisions that leaders have to make all the time will come more sharply into focus.

"Languages in some schools will be vulnerable. We are already worried about them and this could speed up the decline."

Such a move would lead to fears that private schools will dominate in subjects like languages.

John Bangs, former head of education at the National Union of Teachers said cutting subjects will condemn pupils to an "arbitrary curriculum."

National A-level results published last month showed French has dropped out of top 10 most popular subjects for the first time.

Figures for modern foreign language entries show the numbers entering for French down 3.4% and German down 3.8%.

The Government is due to set out spending cuts for all departments in October. Although there has been a promise to protect frontline education services, schools are braced for reductions on other parts of the schools budget.