Entries to GCSE Stem subjects rises by 78,000 in 2015

Entries for GCSE engineering have increased by 37% since 2014, according to news statistics

Entries into GCSE Stem subjects have jumped by more than 78,000 in a year, according to new statistics from the Joint Council for Qualifications.

The figures showed the rise in entries in: engineering (up 1,882 or 37.4% on 2014), maths (up 24,827 or 3.4%), science (up 20,523 or 5.5%), and computer science (up 18,641 or 111.1%).

Overall entries for girls in subjects were also up by more than 30,000, including more than 14,000 in maths.

Education secretary Nicky Morgan said: “Thanks to our reforms focused on extending opportunity, a generation of young people from all backgrounds are now securing the qualifications that help give them the widest range of options later in life - whether looking for a rewarding job or a top apprenticeship.

"This not only benefits the students involved, it means our workforce for the future is properly trained to compete in a global economy."

The government has championed the study of academic qualifications at GCSE through the introduction of the The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure.