Has Michael Gove sounded the death knell of Business Studies?

Michael Gove’s mid-year reforms to the expected school performance measures has profound implications for the future of Business Studies within the curriculum. Many business teachers are about to experience a period of profound change as schools and academies rush to re-configure their curriculum models in order to maximise academic attainment. Upon closer inspection, the likely results may make rather uncomfortable reading for those involved in business education.

“I wish I had now chosen Geography or History which has more recognition, rather than Business Studies” mused a Shenfield 6th former, interviewed for her views upon Michael Gove’s educational reforms on BBC’s 10 o’ clock news this evening.

The only performance ticket in town is now the ‘English Bac’. The new ‘gold standard’ of English, Maths, Science, Humanitie(s) and MFL is the new holy grail for Headteachers and SLT’s alike. There is much debate surrounding the merits of this (see Jim Riley’s blog), which is beyond this post, the implications for business education are potentially stark. Recent history strongly suggests that schools are understandably slavish adherents to meeting government targets - a cursory examination of the explosive growth in BTEC qualifications is a case in point and one of many reasons advanced by Michael Gove for the current reforms.

In the new landscape, curriculum managers face difficult choices. The impostion of the ‘high five’ means that there is, in most (but not all) secondary schools, less timetabled capacity available for optional subjects such as Business Studies. Given that schools have a statutory duty to give time for core PE and that in many schools students are increasingly studying three separate sciences, whilst a large number of faith schools are also likely to insist upon a religious studies GCSE, the reality is that many students may only have one or two optional choices at best.

This is made more likely as the guidelines set out by Gove, indicate that the humanities aspect of the ‘English Bacc’ will only be covered by discrete subjects - not a joint humanities or combined religious studies GCSE. Therefore, the ability of schools to be creative is further restricted (save for early Year 9 entry which may free up some time, but is contingent upon a cohort’s ability).

Whilst Business Studies being offered an optional subject is nothing new in most schools, it is now likely to be joined by ICT (often taught in parallel by business teachers) which seems to have considerably diminished in importance within the current reforms (it is a long way from the ‘national grid for learning’ envisaged in 1996!) Add to this, the existence of recent growth subjects such as Media, Drama, Construction, Motor Vehicle Engineering alongside traditional non-core options such as Art, Design, Economics, Technology and it is clear that Business Studies (alongside other subjects) faces a tough battle for survival in some schools.

Furthermore, it is proposed that many Universities will openly list their admission ‘non-preferred soft subjects’ this year - a list in which Business Studies is almost certain to feature. Suffice to say, this does not augur well for the future uptake of the subject, especially at A-Level, when faced with a potential squeeze upon KS4 numbers.

The impact of the above changes will ultimately turn upon a number of local factors within each school, such as its specialism (which no longer attracts direct funding), historical subject strength, religious ethos, extended hours (if any) the size of existing ‘non-bac’ departments and the extent of current humanities and MFL provision. Schools which have expanded their vocational provision face particular challenges in managing their staffing mix.

Gove’s reforms are not directed against Business Studies per se, but he would appear to place less importance on those subjects outside of the ‘English Bacc’. As numerous secondary schools recruit extra staff to re-build their historically diminished MFL and Humanities departments (depleted as vocational subjects gained popularity), a parallel rationalisation of non-core subjects and staffing is almost inevitable. Anyone whose timetable is constructed of purely in non ‘English Bac’ subjects has some justification to be anxious. I know of several SLT’s currently in the midst of this difficult review process. Sadly some Business Studies teachers without the ability to offer other subjects may be hearing the immortal words of Lord Sugar before too long.

Whilst my instinct is that Gove has not killed Business Studies, his reforms have drawn to a close, in my opinion something of a ‘golden period’ for Business Studies. A period in which Business Studies as a subject grew, fuelled in part by the Apprentice, Celebrity Entrepreneurs, Dragons Den, the Davies report into Enterprise and numerous Academies adopting Business and Enterprise as their specialism (whereby often business was compulsory at KS3- which from personal experience was a pleasure).

Some may argue that this period has been drawing to a close before now as specialist funding was removed and Business HOD’s saw little more than lip service given to Enterprise, prior to Gove’s reforms (although occasionally Enterprise funding was useful for school repairs!) the immediate future appears one of rationalisation, lower management allowances, reduced curriculum time and less able sixth form candidates…..until the next set of cyclical reforms.