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Two thirds of Britons disagree with Labour’s decision to scrap the EBacc in favour of 'Mickey Mouse' subjects, a poll suggests. A survey of 2,000 adults by the More in Common think tank found most people think the flagship Tory policy should remain intact. Introduced in 2010, the EBacc – or English Baccalaureate – is a suite of ‘tough’ GCSEs – English, maths, science, a language and a humanity. Under the old rules, schools have been rewarded in league tables if they could get a large proportion of pupils to take it. Last week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced it would be mothballed to encourage more take-up of creative subjects – prompting accusations of ‘dumbing down’. The survey, conducted over the weekend, found 66 percent of Britons think pupils should do the EBacc, even at the expense of other subjects. The support was strong across all voter groups, with least 50 percent supporting in all parties including 76 per cent among Lib Dems, the most enthusiastic group. Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common, said: ‘What's striking about the support for schools keeping the EBacc requirement is that it spans across political divides. ‘While the public wants to ensure children are taught vital life skills, few want changes to the curriculum to come at the expense of traditional subjects.’ The poll also found the majority of respondents did not think the balance of subjects needs to be shifted to the arts. Nearly half – 46 per cent – wanted to keep the balance between arts, science and humanities the same. Meanwhile 30 per cent wanted more time for the sciences and humanities, and just 9 per cent wanted more arts. The poll also found there was limited support for Labour’s plan to add trendy topics to the primary school curriculum such as ‘spotting fake news’. Last week, concerns were raised that this might put a squeeze on other more vital topics such as literacy and numeracy. Today’s survey found that while 81 per cent were in favour of this topic being included, only 33 per cent said they would support this if it took time away from traditional subjects. It comes after the Government announced last week its long-awaited curriculum overhaul, following a review led by Professor Becky Francis. The plans, which are subject to consultation, also include a reduction in time spent in GCSE exams and a simplification of primary school grammar lessons. There will also be a move to decolonise the curriculum, and a new focus on climate change. The reforms, which undo a raft of flagship Tory policies, were met with glee by the teaching unions. However, Laura Trott, Shadow Education Secretary, called it ‘education vandalism’ while former Tory education minister, Sir Nick Gibb, called it a ‘deeply retrograde step’. A Government spokesman said: ‘From business to the arts to the CEOs of the country's biggest academy trusts, the curriculum review has received overwhelming praise. ‘The EBacc has failed to deliver on its promise of supporting more pupils to take up subjects including languages and has constrained choice for students in subjects that strengthen our economy and our society. ‘Our reforms will ensure every young person has a cast-iron grip on the basics of reading, science and maths, alongside the knowledge and skills for life and work over the next decade, helping all pupils - wherever they go to school - step into the future with confidence.’
