The number of UK students taking arts subjects at school dropped to their lowest level in the past 10 years, according to new industry research, and is expected to fall still further this year.
A report published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) reveals that the number of UK pupils selecting arts subjects at Key Stage 4 (KS4) in 2016 dropped for a third consecutive year, bringing the figure lower than it has been in over a decade.
The report blames financial pressures on schools and the introduction of the new English Baccalaureate (EBacc) for the fall.
"The findings in this report come as no surprise to those of us involved in arts education,"said Sharon Hodgson MP, who is chair of the All-Parliamentary Group on Art, Craft and Design in Education. "But they may come as a shock to the government, who continue to insist that arts subject entries are not declining and that the EBacc does not have a detrimental effect on arts education."
The findings are the latest to indicate an alarming fall in the number of UK students choosing arts subjects which, when combined with Brexit, has lead to fears of an impending "talent crisis" in the creative sector.
The report shows a decline in both the average number of art subjects per pupil, and the proportion of pupils taking at least one arts qualification.
"If the same proportion of pupils had taken at least one arts entry in 2016 as in 2014, then around 19,000 more pupils would have taken ...