In ideal scenarios we WANT youngsters to have a balanced and full education, but for the first steps of the rest of their life, they NEED key grounding qualifications.
With this is mind, the government offering the opportunity to prioritise English and Maths to the detriment of other subjects is a necessary option.
Creative subjects and others further down the Ebac grouping list, are just as important for igniting passion, improving understanding and lighting creative sparks. But, in this critical period, knowing the subsequent prison attendance rate of students who don't have core GCSEs including English and Maths - I reluctantly understand the government's thinking here.
The original plan to support the catch up process with 1-1 Tution and tutoring avenues was a far more welcome approach - but I'm assuming government statisticians have seen and predicted a scenario that calls for such an unwanted step.
As ever, I trust schools will do what's best for their individuals pupils and their futures.