The recent discussion around schools ditching some optional subjects (for a minority of pupils) to focus on core subjects and looking at the more extensive Oak National curriculum which still does not include Business has got me thinking about the reputation of Business as a subject in education. In the past 2 years teaching both Economics and Business, I have been struck by how different each subject is regarded even though they tend to be in the same department and taught by the same teachers. I think business is often seen as ‘the easy option’ not only amongst pupils but also amongst some in school leadership, with an idea that with vocational qualifications in particular that anybody can pass. There are several reasons for this, some valid and some I think based on outdated stereotypes tinged with a little snobbery. The specification is too easy Last year 65% of pupils sitting the new Business GCSE’s got a 4 or above, which is around the same as the percentage for all subj...
Blog from Yousuf Hamid, an economics teacher reflecting on teaching. Twitter: @yousufhamid