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?

[Greenster]

My son’s just picked drama as one of his options. I’m delighted for all of the positive reasons given in this thread about enhancing creativity, confidence etc. He’s quite bright so is doing mainly solidly academic subjects. Why not one more creative subjects to balance it out?

He’s not in the acting set either inside or outside school either, being more interested in sport. But doing the gcse gives him the options to be involved in something inside school that wouldn’t ordinarily have the opportunity to do.

Finally, I agree that we should always give our children the final say. While it’s ok to offer some limited advice, it should always be balanced. My parents pushed me into a particular career that in retrospect didn’t suit me at all. They thought they knew me better than I knew myself. It took me decades to find my real passion and I’m angry they were so insistent.

[FaintlyBaffled]

julie we were specifically told last night that the demise of the AS level would result in universities having to look closer at GCSE's- I would imagine it's the grades more than the actual subjects that they would be interested in, but we have had the importance of them pressed upon us.
As I said in my OP, I know that this is a battle I can definitely win in the short term but I'm uneasy with doing that. He probably will end up doing drama if he can put up a good case for it, and I will be happy with whatever he does if he does well, enjoys it and works hard.
Thank you for all the input, it's been really helpful

[trojanpony]

YANBU!

[RhiWrites]

The demise of the undergraduate numbers cap has already led to universities dropping the entry tariff. I really don’t think drama at GCSE will be considered any kind of barrier to university.

I’m a bit surprised that at so young an age you’re sure he’s going to be a teacher, OP. I think it’s a mistake to encourage children to think their road ahead is mapped out for them. There are so many options. I’d quietly bin the teacher talk and wait and see. There are lots of careers out there, and drama would be an asset in teaching IF he ends up taking that route.

[MaisyPops]

Namechange16
I don't agree with people saying they don't matter at all because they happened to not need X.
But I do agree that it's unlikely to be the end of the world, as long as when they're making their choices they are aware of thr implications.

E.g. I was talking to a student who was under the impression if she couldn't do health and social care then she'd never get onto a nursing course. The reality is they'll pay morr attention to her science grades.

Whereas I was talking to a Y11 student who has really engaged with the historical and contextual side of Literature who now has a choice of stay at our 6th form but don't do history or swap to a different college (with worse results) and do it because he doesn't have GCSE.

I do agrer with the poster who mentioned bums on seats logic when advocating for pupils yo pick their subjects. Option subjects are being cut back in many schools in light of EBACC measures so some departments will be fighting yo demonstraye viability (saying that my art teacher told me I should take art and i was also suggested to take electronics. I was terrible at both).

[BoneyBackJefferson]

GCSEs don't really matter. HTH.

With A levels being 2 years, GCSEs are now a measure of ability that universities look at.

FaintlyBaffled

If your Ds wants to do drama because he wants to do drama, then let him go for it, But if he is doing it because "it easy" or "there is someone he fancies" or "my mates are doing it" then he is doing himself (and anyone that wants to do the course) no favours by taking
a subject that he has no real interest in.

[Scabbersley]

Sometimes when I read threads like this I wonder if my dd2 is really real.

She is doing History A level despite not having done it for GCSE, and Physics despite only having done combined science.

She also did Drama gcse and considered it for a level, but is doing Maths instead.

[MaisyPops]

Scabbersley
It depends on the entry requirements of the college.
We expect some prior study for some subjects (e.g. history, geography, MFL, music - but we includemusic theory exams) but we happily accept combined science for science a levels.

We accept combined science for a level because just because someone is good at physics doesn't mean they'd automatically be good enough at biology/chemistry yi make doing triple GCSE worthwhile.

One college near me doesn't have pre requisites.
Another will take anyone on any grade in any subject because they need bums on seats.

[PostNotInHaste]

We’re 3 tier herevas well and one of DS’s friends is struggling a bit with one option. It’s between drama and something else that he has done for years, drama is also a new one for him.

Reading between the lines the drama teacher is going all out on a recruitment drive. Asked him yesterday if he is decided nad he said he thinks so and is going for the non drama option. He then went quiet, sounded quite stressed and said that he just isn’t sure though as every drama lesson the teacher tells him he is great at it and should take it as an option.

DD out of the blue decided to do drama and went through a phase of wanting to act etc. She ended up ditching it at end of year 10s hated the practical side as her group turned into clash of the egos and no one wanted to put in the time needed. This has put DS off who is also getting the whole you should do drama speech and he is sticking with history.

Think it is not a good idea to insist but make sure he has a very clear idea of what it entails and how he would handle it if the group he would be in for practical work was a difficult one . Also ask him would he still enjoy it with a different teacher in the case that he doesn’t get current one or teacher left and point out that a lot of pressure on some of the creative subjects to recruit the numbers needed for the courses to run.

If he takes it having weighed up pros and cons and doesn’t end up liking it for any reason he’ll have to own the decision and it may smooth the path for A level decision making where things matter more.

[Scabbersley]

She's at an academic independent school. They wouldn't have let her do that combination if they didn't believe she'd get good grades.

[MaisyPops]

That'll be why scabbersley.
Whereas we're non selective comprehensive. So we'll take people on 5 GCSE inc maths and english but want to make sure people taking a level courses can actually hack the course.

We get applications saying 'i have my 5 gcses and have maths but nit English. I want to do 3 essay based subjects. 2 of them are a level only in most places so they're new and I also want to do history'.
We go back saying 'best will in tne world, if you've not got a C in English, is that a good pathway for you? And ni to history unless you've passed it at GCSE'

It's not too bad internally because our y1qs get lots of guidance about course choices (and we share what else is on offer in the region). Most of the weaker students taking potebtially unmanageable combinations tend to be externals and that's when we get 'but school said it didn't matter if I didn't take Geography'. Etc.

[LearnFromThePast]

I work at a RG University and we do look at GCSE grades, but aren’t especially concerned about the subjects. We do like drama students as they tend to be confident public speakers and they give good interviews.

With the way things are going with Brexit, we may need as many students as possible long term anyway so I doubt a drama GCSE would make much difference.

I had to study cooking and textiles at GCSE due to the awful block system. In my case they didn’t run my first choice due to lack of numbers and I was stuck with what was left. I struggled so much with studying subjects I had no real interest in. I did a history GCSE as well and even though I had always loved it previously, it put me off enough that I didn’t pick it for A Level.

[LakieLady]

may be the whole new list may fill him with horror. It did my daughter! They went to WW2 and Pre-war Germany, Medicine in History & The Cold War.

This was the same syllabus I did over 15 years ago!

WW2 was on the syllabus when I did my history o-level in 1971! The Cold War was still going on, so it makes me feel very old to hear that it's now history (although I daresay my parents may have felt the same about WW2).

Drama is a great subject to do imo, as it fits in with so many other subjects. I did RSA speech and drama up to grade 8, and it linked in with classics (which I also did), history and Eng Lit. It teaches teamwork, time management, presentation and builds confidence.

[fourquenelles]

Both DSS did drama at GCSE, A level and went on to get a degree in the subject. Neither did any drama activities outside of the school/university. Both found the degree courses very essay heavy and much more academic than they anticipated. One is now a primary school teacher and the other manages part of a famous chef's empire.

[Quaza]

I let my DC chose their own GCSE's. They are growing up and should be taking responsibility for their own futures.

[FaintlyBaffled]

rhi, the "teacher talk" is all from him, all we've done is impress upon him the need not to fuck up in terms of getting any sort of criminal record (we obviously discourage criminal activity anyway It's more a realisation that one bad choice as a teenager could prevent him from a whole raft of careers for the rest of his life)
Teaching suits his temperament ATM, but we will see

[VileyRose]

I am encouraging my DS to do drama ov3r Sociology. I done drama and it's not all acting.

[Sparklesocks]

It doesnt really matter, it would only be a slight issue if he wanted to do Sciencey/Mathsy A Levels and then go onto a degree in that STEM area. As long as he has a C minimum in maths and English then GCSEs only serve to get your A Level places.

[Tainbri]

I think you can have a rational conversation with him and put your thoughts and concerns forward but ultimately his choice and YABU if you "put your foot down". My Dad forced me into chemistry instead of art and I'm bitter about it to this day (over thirty years ago!!)

[C0untDucku1a]

i work in a 11-18 comprehensive school and we havent done any drama at all, ks3 or gcse in about 8 years. It is not unusual to have done no drama lessons in the current climate.

Ive heard of schools that have stopped music lessons too.

When we stop seeing the value on a varied curriculum, we start to lose the variety.

[GeminiRising]

My daughter did drama at GCSE level.

She then went to college and did an NVQ in Performing Arts.

It was during this course that she discovered the joy of stage lighting - and then subsequently went to university and gained a BSc in Lighting Design and Technology. She now works in the industry.

Drama opens up a whole world of possibilities, it's not just about acting and it's not a dead-end subject.

[Fishlegs]

Really sorry, haven’t read the full thread, but drama is a brilliant subject for GCSE.

I went into sciences and then medicine and I still use the techniques that I learnt during my drama GCSE when giving lectures or presentations.

[Paperthin]

Great post JustOneMoreStep.

fWIW I think that your DS should chose what he wants and thinks he will enjoy. Don’t have an argument / debate with him, they are HIS GCSEs and he needs to chose his own path. Both of my DC have done PE GCSE it’s not a doddle subject anymore, they are both academic kids. But they both enjoy the subject and the opportunities it brings.

[Bodicea]

It seems a bit strange that a core subject such as history is in the same block as drama. But anyhow. Let him pick what he wants. I don’t think I even asked my parents what gcse’s I could do. I just told them. He is old enough to make his own decisions.
Incidentally I didn’t do drama gcse as it wasn’t an option. But did do theatre studies alevel along with science subjects. I know work in a science related field. The theatre studies gave me another dimension and did me no harm whatsoever.

[BitOutOfPractice]

Universities look very closely at GCSE results now. Very closely indeed.

I have a history degree so my bias is towards that subject.

However I am also a parent of teens and I know that trying to force them to do something they don't want to will end in tears - yours