Campaign shows creative and economic value of English degrees

University English – Press Release 

EMBARGOED TO 00:01, Friday 22 March 2024

University English departments are at risk of closure, Britain’s leading English academics and graduates will say this week, as they launch a campaign backing the subject.

Far from a ‘low-value degree’, English degrees provide skills vital to today’s growing markets in the creative and arts sectors, and language-based systems and industries like AI. Yet the popularity of some English literature and language courses has fallen due to misleading myths about job prospects and skills, professors say.

Today (Friday, 22 March), leading academics and high-profile graduates of English will launch a new campaign at their national conference to highlight the value of studying English.

The #EnglishCreates campaign, led by University English in association with the English Association, shows how young people can create a difference in the world through an English degree, and futureproof their skills for life, work, and social change. Key points include:

•    English creates crucial skills for employment and social change in Communication, Critical thinking, Collaboration and Creativity. Together, these are described as Storycraft, skills highly valued by business and social leaders. 
•    English is a key contributor to the creative industries, the fastest growing part of the UK economy. 
•    Arts and Humanities graduates have the same employment rate as science graduates.  
•    Average graduate starting salaries are up to £23,000, comparable with Psychology, Law, Business Studies and Chemistry.  
•    English graduates enjoy the joint fourth highest annual average wage growth, at 6.2%, higher than graduates of Physics (5.9%), Business (5.8%) and psychology (5.6%)  

The #EnglishCreates campaign is supported by successful English graduates, including comedian David Baddiel, poet and novelist Patience Agbabi, writers Ali Smith and Jeanette Winterson, and children’s author Francesca Simon. 

David Baddiel said: “I loved my English degree. I loved getting to read books, and then listen to clever people talk about books, and then writing about books, for a degree. It was the most intellectually stimulating way to spend my time at university, plus it opened me up to understanding the world in ways that have stayed with me for life. Plus it may - who knows -  have helped me become a writer.”

Patience Agbabi said: “Studying English Language and Literature, especially pre-19th century texts and poetry, enabled me to explore and extol the sonic properties of language, the dynamic between orality and literature. I became a sought-after international spoken word poet enjoying numerous invitations through bodies including The British Council in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the USA. I have lectured in Creative Writing and have published four poetry collections and four novels – a time-travel tetralogy for children.”

Jeanette Winterson said: “The workings of the human heart, the human mind, the human spirit, are best understood through the arts. Without the Arts and Humanities we do not know ourselves, only our achievements. Without the Humanities we cannot read the past - how did we get here?  Without the Arts, we risk a future where humans look in a mirror without a reflection.”

Ali Smith said: “Studying for an English degree is one of the best ways there is to learn to read the world.”

Francesca Simon said: “Apart from the joy of reading widely, I learned to analyse, to search out meaning, to think critically, to write confidently. Reading great books from the past, from Anglo-Saxon poetry and Beowulf through Chaucer and Mrs Gaskell and Trollope, gave me a feel for history, a sense of time, and an understanding of how cultures evolve and change. Studying English also helped me discover my own style of writing, grounded in an understanding of rhythm and sound and of course, alliteration.”

English graduates and supporters are encouraged to share their own stories on social media channels using #EnglishCreates.

Professor Gail Marshall, chair of University English and Professor of English Literature at the University of Reading, said: “English is a hugely enjoyable and rewarding subject to study, and has a profound impact across our society. 

“An English degree creates value of many kinds, helps employability, and equips graduates with life-long skills to respond meaningfully to challenges like the environmental crisis and technological change.

“We would lose so much if universities had to close English departments, particularly in parts of the UK where universities play a major role in the economic, cultural, and artistic landscape.”

The #EnglishCreates campaign will culminate in a week of national events, 3-7 June 2024. Visit universityenglish.ac.uk/englishcreates-campaign-events for more information.

ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Latest admissions data shows that Entries for A-level English Literature are up 3% between 2022 and 2023 and applications to university have also now stabilised with numbers for English Studies and Creative Writing at the same level in 2023 as in 2020. 
 The background is that the number of students enrolling on an undergraduate English degree fell by 24% between 2014 and 2018, and by a further 12% between 2019 and 2021 (owing to changes in HE data coding it is not always possible to make direct comparison between figures before and after 2019). There was also a very significant fall in A-level entries: from 89,442 in 2013 to 64,312 in 2020 (a drop of 28%).  
Sources: UCAS, HESA, Joint Council for Qualifications. 
See also: The British Academy, English Studies Provision in UK Higher Education (June 2023) 

Available for interview:
Professor Robert Eaglestone r.eaglestone@rhul.ac.uk
Professor Gail Marshall g.marshall@reading.ac.uk 

For more details, or to arrange interviews, please contact 
Pete Castle, University of Reading press office pressoffice@reading.ac.uk 0118 378 5757