How do we stem the decline in students studying art history in the UK?

"The state of art history is not good, at least not in the UK. According to a schools survey by the Association for Art History, only 80 schools offer an A-level in art history, down from 122 a decade ago. Last year the exam was taken by a grand total of 838 pupils. It seems the kids are just not that into it anymore. Looking for silver linings, the association pointed to a "sizeable increase" in A-level entries in more recent years."

"The association found a more optimistic view of art historical interest in the university numbers. Enrolment in undergraduate courses is "stable", at around 1,200 students a year. But, again, they have chosen 2019 as a starting point, after a decline of nearly 30% in the 2010s. There is no escaping it-art history in the UK is a dwindling, elite subject."

"That's the problem. What's the cause? Here we normally blame a combination of money and politics. Art history is seen as an expensive subject, requiring specialist teachers and pricey materials (thanks in part to the image fees our "inclusive" museums like to charge). Curriculum reforms over the past 20 years have favoured STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). The last Conservative government tried to abolish the A-level altogether in 2016. Universities have faced similar pressures. The structural barriers for young people wanting to study art history are many."

Art history participation in UK schools has declined sharply: only 80 schools now offer the A-level, down from 122 a decade ago, and 838 pupils took the exam last year. Historical enrollment fell from about 4,000 forty years ago to around 1,000 twenty years ago. University undergraduate enrolment is roughly 1,200 a year but that figure follows a 2010s decline if earlier baselines are used. Three quarters of schools teaching the subject are fee-paying, producing a class divide. Financial costs, curriculum prioritization of STEM, exam reforms, museum image fees, and other structural barriers constrain access. Questions arise about whether current teaching approaches and engagement strategies are sufficiently compelling.

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