To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the number of GCSE entrants in (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) biology, (d) mathematics and (e) combined sciences in each year since 1989; arid what has been the total number of entrants in those subjects each year as a percentage of the total entrants in all subjects.
The estimated numbers of 16-year-old pupils in schools in England entering GCSE (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) biology, (d) mathematics and (e) combined science in each year since 1989 are shown in the table. The percentage of the total entrants are also shown.
Subject taken
| 1988–89
| 1989–90
| 1990–91
| 1 1991–92
|
Mathematics
| ||||
| Number (000's) | 532·26 | 490·26 | 471·41 | 460·21 |
| Per cent. of any subject | 92 | 90 | 90 | 87 |
Combined science
| ||||
| Number (000's) | 142·11 | 203·75 | 300·92 | 396·71 |
| Per cent. of any subject | 24 | 37 | 58 | 75 |
Any subject
| ||||
| Number (000's) | 581·3 | 544·4 | 521·15 | 530·5 |