UK: Students shun humanities at university

Students are shunning traditional arts and humanities courses at university in favour of vocational ones, writes Jasper Copping for The Telegraph.

Official figures show that the numbers of applications to study subjects like law, teaching and accounting at British universities have increased this year, while interest in courses in English, history, classics and philosophy has fallen.

Educationalists say the trend is due to fears over the economy and the cost of a university education, with students selecting degrees they believe will offer them the best chance of a defined career and an immediate return on their fees. However, the figures have prompted warnings about the decline of some traditional subjects, with experts arguing that many humanities courses can better prepare students for the labour market than some vocational degrees.
Full report on The Telegraph site