Adam Henson calls for GCSE in agriculture

On Wednesday 13th September Farming UK reported: "Adam Henson calls for introduction of GCSE in agriculture: Adam Henson, one of Britain's best-known farmers, has called for the introduction of a GCSE in agriculture. The presenter of BBC's Countryfile told The Times: "You can get a GCSE in religious studies and business, so why not in agriculture?" Henson said he hoped to "do for farms what Rick Stein has done for fish", and make farming a permanent subject on the school curriculum. Recent figures by UCAS even shows agriculture at degree level is starting to gain popularity. Higher education courses in the agriculture, horticulture and animal care sector rose by 117 per cent." Read the piece in full here.

The Countryside Alliance has long campaigned to get outdoor education onto the curriculum and our charitable projects such as Fishing 4 Schools and Falconry for Schools do turn the countryside into a classroom. We warmly welcome Mr Henson's sentiments and ambitions in this direction - it is of huge concern that the younger generation is not as connected to the natural world, especially food & farming, in the way previous generations have been, and we rural organisations and media all have a role to play in turning the tide.