GCSE options help please...Art / Tech or neither?

[Ingles2]

Ds1 and I are trying to decide on his GCSE options and could do with some advice please...
He's at a state selective school,.. currently either EP/level 8 or A* predicted for everything and is on the G+T list for Art , Tech and History.
He has to take 2 English, 2 Maths, 3 Science, 1 humanity, 1 language, & RE and then has 2 other options..
So for his choices he's thinking geography and,.....
And here's the problem.. As good as he is at art and tech..he doesn't like them that much.
He's an incredible artist, but he's not very imaginative if that makes sense? and it's painful getting him to sit down and do the work ( I'm arty btw in an arts based career) The Art teacher was having absolute kittens when we suggested he wasn't going to take art.
Then the tech teacher said he should be doing STEM and therefore Tech..
I thought he should probably do an arts based subject to show his breadth but I don't know really...
He's currently interested in being a surgeon, but has fancied architecture in the past.. he's also interested in Oxbridge/Harvard options..
Anyone fancy giving their opinion?

[chrissyalg]

Hi, I think its important that he enjoys the GCSEs hes doing. However, if he does think architectural may be an option in the future art may be useful as they are lots of drawings involved. May be worth looking at the requirements for studying this at university though to see if art is recommended.

[EBearhug]

Can you see what's in the syllabuses he'd be covering for the different subjects?

I did art GCSE, because we were encouraged to do something that was less academic. We didn't do anything about art history, there wasn't that much about technique - it was all about using your imagination and building portfolios of ideas. I had fun, and got a good grade, but even then, I didn't feel I learnt much, and it seemed rather a waste of a degree to me, when I could have done more science or geog instead. I have learnt way, way more about art since I've left formal education than I did within it.

If he doesn't enjoy art that much, I would advise him to do tech. If he decides he does want to pick up his artistic skills later in life, it's comparatively easy to find classes outside of school. A mix of subjects to me is sciences, languages and humanities - I don't think I'd worry about someone not taking art, unless they were planning to go onto art college. Also, people can also do arty/crafty things outside of school if you want that balance - decorating carnival floats, doing posters for events, making cakes, whatever - there are loads of opportunities if you want them. When it comes to tech, there's no field out there these days which doesn't use technology one way or another, so it will be useful background whatever.