Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a computer games studies qualification within the education curriculum.

We are reforming qualifications to make them more rigorous so that they better equip students for further academic study and the world of work.

The new computing curriculum was introduced into schools in September 2014. The 2011 “Next Gen” report from leading figures in the creative industries informed the development of the new computing programmes of study. The report made a compelling case to replace the old ICT curriculum with a new curriculum that would give young people the skills to become makers rather than consumers, opening up careers in video games or other digital arts.

Students who wish to go on to further study can develop specialisms in information science before progressing to higher education or employment, including technical certificates and tech levels to develop the knowledge and skills that enable entry to employment.

We have no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a computer games studies qualification at GCSE or A level.