Exam questions about Colchester Britpop band Blur may appeal to examiners more than students.
That is the concern of music teacher Nigel Hildreth - who taught Blur frontman Damon Albarn during his days at the Stanway School.
Mr Hildreth said he welcomed the news that exam board Edexcel is planning to add Britpop legends like Blur, Oasis and Pulp to the list of musical greats GCSE students learn about.
But Mr Hildreth, now an A-level music teacher at Colchester Sixth Form College, added: "I suspect it is more to do with the examiners wanting to appear with it and cool by introducing music like that.
"Britpop was at its height more than ten years ago - when most of the 16-year-olds taking GCSEs now were six years old."
A spokesman for Edexcel said the addition of Britpop as a subject will be the only change to the revised GCSE music course which will be introduced in September.
She said: "Classical still makes up 50 per cent of the curriculum and marks, and can be studied from the 17th century to contemporary classical. Popular music, which includes the Britpop element, makes up 25 per cent."
Published Thursday, February 3, 2005
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