Many sources show that over the past five years, the number of students taking creative subjects for GCSEs has decreased significantly.

A recent study shows that the GCSE  entries for drama studies fell by 15%, media studies fell 26% and DT fell 32% since 2012. If you think about it, the majority of these creative subjects contain crucial skills required for jobs. People keep talking about how we need more female engineers, meanwhile back in secondary school students have stopped taking the subject.

In addition, according to a BBC survey, 9/10 schools are cutting their financial provisions for creative subjects and the number of schools that offer the courses at GCSE level has dropped more than it should. This means that the young generation of students aren’t receiving the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

There are many proven benefits to creative subjects which is why there should be more highlighted instead of just driving for academic excellence. It is scientifically proven that students who take Music have a higher average IQ, have an advantage in language development and have better memory skills. It is also proven that Drama helps an increase in confidence while public speaking, a boosted self esteem, developed interpersonal skills and higher levels of concentration. 

There are many unseen benefits in addition to this. 20% of teenagers suffer from a mental illness such as depression or anxiety; creative subjects can help alleviate the struggle as it increases well being, gives the ability to form social connections and increases the efficiency of the brain. 

For these reasons, I believe it is imperative that creative subjects should be held with more importance within the school environment. 

Annika Nandi, The Henrietta Barnett School