What do you think of these A'level subject choices

[AgeofInformation]

This is what DS might be heading for:

Maths
Economics
Computing.

My worry being that he has chosen two non facilitating subjects.

Sadik thanks sounds like quite a quandary .
Hope she sees sense is much clearer nearer the time. There's always lots of advice on here, which is comforting, there's always someone who's been in the same boat who can lend an ear.

Carriemac Well done to your DD.

The point is Carriemac??? Your DD has TWO facilitating subjects!!!! She would not have needed three!

Sorry , meant to say she was told these were really good law subjects, and Durham though so too. I know two of them are facilitating, but during open days she got the impression that economics was well thought of. and she has 5 offers from oxford durham kings etc.
On the other hand her school does not even offer Comp sci as they feel it narrows options too much.

Carriemac - your DD has a really interesting combination of A-levels.

My DSSs, who both read Economics at university in the U.K. after doing à French bac S, think that some combinations of A-levels get overtaken, as an education, by degree content and leave students with little education outside their own field. Basically, they have no education beyond GCSE level other than their degree subject.

I think it's A Good Thing for lower sixteen h students to start off with 4 A levels/pre u if possible.

It allows them to keep their education broader for longer.

And let's be honest, the schools only offering 3 in lower sixth are doing to save ££. It's not out of any desire to do what's good for the pupils.

If the UK school system were focused on what was good for the pupils, education would look very different indeed. It has become a huge sorting system.

True.

And whilst people get up in arms about the NHS, state education has been quietly starved of funding.

People use the NHS in emergency situations where they have an expectation of care because they can no longer care for themselves - be that flu, acne or cancer. The failings of the education system are less immediately visible so they get less immediate attention.

True again.

Also many parents instinctively refuse to admit to any issues, because to do so would be to admit that their child is receiving something sub standard.

That is not something your average middle class parent can do!

the schools only offering 3 in lower sixth are doing to save ££.
State schools only receive government funding for 3 A level subjects so those that offer 4 in Y12 are having to find the funding from elsewhere within their (limited) budgets.

Absolutely. People refuse the very idea that the childhood their own child is getting could possibly be substandard. Ego defenses at play all the time. And parents are so frigging busy that they don't have time to loll around reading e.g. PISA surveys in proper detail and discussing them. There is little space in most people's lives for any perspective on the systems they inhabit.

Indeed cat.

And I don't blame schools for limiting to 3 A levels. But I wish schools and parents would be honest about the reason and not follow the script that it's all somehow much better than doing 4.

It just lets the government off the hook.

On the other hand her school does not even offer Comp sci as they feel it narrows options too much.

If its one of only 3 subjects that's probably true - and afaik none of the degree courses for which it is relevant require it (though it would be an acceptable subject).

Economics, History and Maths are perfect for Economics! Why would they not be? Not an u usual combination either - plenty of options. Economics is a science at many universities because it is mathematical.

No-one did four 30 years ago before AS came in. Plenty did Maths, FM and a Science so only two subjects. The Polys only asked for two A levels for lots of their courses. 4 is a fairly recent development. We could delay university entrance to enhance learning post 16! Would give more time to ensure a more rounded education.

bojorojo - I was at school overseas and didn't do A-levels but contemporaries of mine did six A-levels (three in Lower Sixth and three in Upper Sixth) at private schools in the early 1980s. I have no idea how common this was however.

Bojo - I don't know about 30 years ago, but I did 4 in 1979 - two sciences and double maths - and was a bit miffed because I'd have preferred 3 sciences and maths as my older brother had done, but they couldn't timetable it. (Bog standard for its time state grammar). But as I think someone has commented, back then it was nearly all 'vanilla' subjects, and afaik there weren't complications like the pre-U which seems to be whats throwing the options for the OP's DS.

I went to sixth form at a London day independent school that has a good MN reputation, did my A levels in 1989, and no one did six. Those of us doing double maths did 4, everyone else did 3.