To insist that drama is not a valid choice for GCSE's

[FaintlyBaffled]

....when the student in question has never expressed the faintest interest in the subject in nearly 14 years
DS has his heart set on taking GCSE drama. I maintain it's a bonkers choice given that his only acting experience to date was as a leaf in a school assembly in yr2.
To compound this, he is planning to give up a subject that has interested him since he was a toddler, as it falls in the same block as drama. He has a natural gift at this subject and has just received glowing reports in his most recent review.
I'm wary of opening hostilities over something that I can ultimately win in the short term (I have to sign the form to say I agree with his choices) but that he could win in the long term by flunking the subject. We've so far agreed not to do anything until we've discussed this in more detail with the school, but he's unusually truculent about the whole affair. AIBU to put my foot down and insist that he doesn't "waste" an option on this?

[Namechange16]

To the pp that said drama is like English Lit....er, no it's not and it's not regarded as highly either!

[PinkFlamingo888]

Things may have changed since I was at school but I wanted to do 2 subjects out of the same option block so I wrote them both down and got away with doing both. Maybe find out for definite if he can’t do both if he really does want to do them. I did both history and drama and loved both. The friendships that you make in your drama class are unlike friendships you have in other classes. I’m not sayin that’s all school is for but friendships are just as important as a letter or number on a bit of paper at 16.

[TheMadGardener]

Oh yes, and speaking as a teacher, schools will love it if he is a drama expert who can help out with producing Christmas shows, plays and assemblies!

[JustOneMoreStep]

Ok so I am coming at this from a slightly different perspective; not least because I am the drama teacher.

In my opinion there are not words to describe how incredibly unreasonable you are being in considering preventing your son study drama.

1. GCSEs really do not matter in the real world, and actual poor choices at A level can even be overcome. Actually cutting out creativity at GCSE does more harm than good because you are just closing doors when they really are still so very young.
   

1. You say he is a musician. So am I, obsessively so.....5 ABRSM grade 8s before a music degree, a masters degree, teacher training music specialism and a phd in music, but to make a living I have to teach drama alongside music. Way back when I had to make my choices music was timetabled against drama and I do honestly wish I'd taken drama over music. I had so many grades and extra curricular music that it wouldn't have suffered at all, but I'd have had more insight into drama.
   

1. You state that he has shown an interest in being a teacher. Fantastic, study drama, seriously. Contrary to what some think teaching is incredibly hard, and sometimes we have to 'become that teacher' which is almost a different person to who 'we' are. Drama will develop those skills of being effective, assuming an identity and being professional without it consuming them as an individual. The lack of ability to do this is one of many reasons for high levels of teacher burn out.
   

1. On the desire to teach front, increasingly as teachers we are required to teach absolutely anything (lack of funding in schools to employ appropriate numbers of specialists). I am head of music and drama at a large comprehensive academy in a city - my timetable consists of; music, drama, English, geography and a single lesson of maths! The thing is with this, creative subjects require a different skills set to more traditionally academic subjects, I am also an academic, because that is what university study demands of us, so I have two very distinct skills sets. This means I can go and deliver a geography/history/whatever academic lesson, quite confidently because I can read and understand and plan a lesson using those university taught skills. The history teacher really struggles if they are called to cover something from my department because it requires them to be creative, and is so far out of their comfort zone and they don't have the skills it becomes much more difficult for them.
   

Of course I advocate drama and music to everyone, but stepping away from the subject specifics, don't make GCSEs the stress fest that it becomes for so many young people. Relax, enjoy it, the process of studying and learning is more important than the subject itself.

Good luck xx

[Vangoghsear]

Could it be that the drama teacher needs to get certain numbers to ensure the class runs and so is actively encouraging able students to choose it. I recall my art teacher, who was invariably critical of my artistic efforts, suddenly taking me aside and telling me to seriously consider it at options time. I was mystified at the time (and stuck to what I was good at).

[Namechange16]

Why on earth are people saying that GCSEs aren't the be all and end all? Maybe at 50, but at 16, you need GCSEs to get into college/apprenticeships/university/any well paid job. Some of your advice is scary!!

[converseandjeans]

Pretty sure you can pick up history as an A level if you can prove you have good essay writing skills. So I don't think you necessarily have to study it at GCSE level to pursue it later on.
As others have said drama is actually really useful for learning how to be a confident speaker, and develops lots of other skills too.
I would say he is the one who will have to sit through the lessons and do all the work. So let him choose.

[NancyJoan]

You really need to get to the bottom of why he suddenly fancies drama (and then come back and tell us). I think a Drama GCSE sounds great, btw, so long as the teacher thinks he can pull it off.

[FuzzyHeaded]

I did Drama and Theatre Studies at GCSE and AS Level and have a PhD, and degrees from both halves of Oxbridge. So doing Drama at GCSE isn't the death knell to academic attainment.

Though I do appreciate your situation isn't as cut-and-dried as that given the previous plans to become a History teacher! Have you talked to him about whether he'd be just as happy teaching Drama in the long-term? (And honestly -- I suspect he'd be more in demand if so. Basically everyone with a History degree is advised at some point to think about teaching...)

A PP mentioned that maybe the actual course outline is putting him off - what topics do they cover at GCSE in History at his school?

[toffee1000]

Yes GCSEs are important, but not what subjects they’re in. Maths and English as a minimum, as well as a minimum grade in certain subjects depending on course (eg A or whatever it is now for sciences)... further down the line universities and jobs don’t care that someone did Drama GCSE!!

[JustOneMoreStep]

NameChange16......on what evidence do you say GCSEs are the bee all at age 16? To study a levels you need to have 5 GCSEs at grade c or above......subjects are usually irrelevant. Honestly, GCSEs don't even come into university applications unless you are studying a subject not related to your a level subjects.

[endofthelinefinally]

I cant understand people who look down on drama.
Do they never watch TV, go to the theatre, cinema?
Where would we be without actors, dancers, musicians?
These are the people who add so much to our quality of life.

[SersioulycanitgetWORSE]

I think it's dramatically should be compulsory, self awareness, acting out other people's lives, empty sympathy... Public speaking, awareness of audiences body language confidence etc etc very key skills to get on.

[JustOneMoreStep]

*5 grade 5s on the new GCSE grading system for a level courses......

[SersioulycanitgetWORSE]

Toffee jobs, interviews may not care he did drama gsce but... Being able to pull on skills learned in drama may help him win those jobs or get through those interviews

[headintheproverbial]

GCSEs don't really matter. HTH.

[Rufustherenegadereindeer1]

Close friend of mine did drama purely because she was good as English literature and knew she would find the written a doddle

She did not enjoy the 'practical' side at all

We recently had a parents evening where the english teacher said that ds2 rendition of the lines in the play they are studying was the highlight of her teaching career. Im now wondering if he should have taken drama

[user1487194234]

YABU
I can see what you are worried about but essentially it has to be his choice
By all means have a serious discussion with him but let him make up his own mind
Have been really shocked at how many of my DCs contemporaries have been made to choose what their parents want,and often has backfired,once or twice fairly spectacularly

[Julie8008]

GCSEs really do not matter in the real world
Hmmmm ... What if Universities start using them to determine offers, now that AS levels have gone I have heard they are looking at them.

Could he justify dropping History to his 6th college if he wants to study History at A-Level. It might not be compulsory everywhere but it certainly would be unusual not to do it. Looking at my DC 6th form they require a level 6 in History to do it at A-Level.

I would definitely investigate this more, its to important to just leave it to a whim.

[booellesmum]

DD2 is currently deciding options and it is entirely her choice. She is the one who has to do the subject for 2 years and take exams in it, not me.
DD1 dropped Geography after half a term and switched to Drama. She had never shown a prior interest in drama and had to persuade her teachers to let her swap. It turned out to be her favourite gcse and she gained a lot of confidence doing it. In the end she got a B which was her lowest grade but she wouldn't change having done it even if she could.

[gillybeanz]

namechange

I have looked at both the boards of Drama and Eng lit that my dd will doand there are similar components, when looking at the reading lists it's hard to remember what subject they were when armed with my list.
I'm not sure for other boards though.
My comparison is edexcel drama and igcse English, there are speaking and listening parts as well as coursework.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

DS decided against Professional Cookery at A Level in favour of Performing Arts, Music, Drama and Photography. He had never expressed an interest in any of these subjects other than Drama before (did GCSE Drama) and doesn't play an instrument. I was baffled because he had always said he wanted to be a chef. However I was prevented from doing a subject I really wanted to do at school by my parents in favour of something they deemed more suitable, and I hated it and didn't do very well in it because it wasn't a passion and I struggled. So I reluctantly butted out and let DS choose his own subjects. Turns out he is a great actor, has been in every school production since starting the course and now wants to get an apprenticeship with the BBC doing sound production when he finishes sixth form in the summer. He has an alternative back up plan in case he can't get into the BBC, but doing something new has expanded his horizons and given him a new interest that plays to his strengths - he is a confident public speaker (and very verbose, we have always teased him that he sounds like he swallowed a dictionary as a small boy) and is very practically minded.

I would let your DS follow his heart - I have never forgiven my parents for stopping me doing Home Economics in favour of IT, even though I have a good career.

[deste]

My DD is a drama teacher and the kids absolutely love it. They have four drama teachers in the school and it is a very high achieving school so drama is not looked down on. As people have said up thread there is a lot of written work involved.

[k2p2k2tog]

There's a lot more to drama than acting/performing. DD wants to be a primary teacher and will probably be taking drama as a subject - I have no issue with that at all.

[MymbleClement]

I see there are quite a few on here still resenting their parents for preventing them from studying what they wanted. I am another. My parents wouldn't let me do music or drama. Strangely enough I did not do well in the subjects I was 'encouraged' to study instead. YABU, let him choose for himself.