Tony Robinson criticises scrapping archaeology A-level

Sir Tony Robison, former presenter of Time Team, has criticised the scrapping of A-level archaeology.

Robison described the move as ‘a barbaric act’ and has voiced support for a campaign to save the subject.

An online petition to save the A-level has now received over 9,000 signatures.

Dr Daniel Boatright, subject leader for archaeology at Worcester Sixth Form College, who is leading the campaign said: “Specialist A-levels like archaeology are vital tools in sparking students’ interest in learning and in preparing vital skills for use when they go onto university courses.

“AQA is extremely naïve if it believes UK students will benefit from a curriculum of only the major subjects. What we will be most sorry to lose is a subject capable of bringing out talents and potential in students that might have been left undiscovered.”

The Chartered Institute of Archaeologists (CIFA) is calling for the government and exam board AQA to ‘look at ways to come to a revised conclusion on the future of the Archaeology A-level’. It warns that scrapping the A-level course represents a ‘set-back for the sector’, which will cause ‘irrevocable harm to the discipline’.