The ultimate proof GCSEs are heading in only one direction? Harry Styles is on the syllabus

HARRY STYLES fans might spend many an idle hour listening to his hits and watching his videos.

And now they can claim it to be homework – as the former One Direction star has been added to the GCSE curriculum.

His solo single Adore You is now on the syllabus of the media studies course offered by the OCR exam board, with teenage pupils asked to analyse the eight-minute video that accompanies it.

Released in 2019, the film features Styles plucking a fish out of the ocean and befriending it, housing it in ever-larger vessels as it grows, until it bursts out of its tank and is returned to the sea.

The video has been added to OCR’s list of ‘media products’ that pupils will study from September – to the dismay of traditionalists.

Critics claim the inclusion of 28year-old Styles is a cynical move to lure students on to a frivolous ‘Mickey Mouse’ course.

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘Harry Styles is a superstar whom the exam board is using as a poster boy to pull in punters for a discredited GCSE.

‘No youngster in their right mind should be opting for a study of Harry Styles over serious academic subjects. The Harry Styles media studies GCSE should come with a “trigger warning” that it is likely to be regarded by employers and universities as a disqualification for employment or any quality higher education course.’

Previously, pupils on the course had to study Little Mix’s Black Magic video.

Other pop stars to have been on the OCR media studies syllabus have included Beyonce and Tinie Tempah, while rapper Dizzee Rascal and comedian Russell Brand have been added to the English A-level course. Previously, the AQA board featured British YouTuber Zoella, sister of 2018 Strictly Come Dancing finalist Joe Sugg, on their media studies GCSE course.

But she was dropped in 2021 after an article reviewing sex toys appeared on her website. One of AQA’s current tests includes a question about gender representation in video games as well as asking pupils to comment on the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and Lara Croft Go apps in their answers.

About 34,000 teenagers sat media studies GCSEs last summer – a figure that has halved since 2010.

A spokesperson for OCR said: ‘We periodically refresh our GCSE media studies content. Such additions keep it engaging and relevant.’

They added that the subject helps pupils ‘develop both practical skills and a critical understanding of this vital industry for the UK, which has a profound cultural, social and economic impact’.

Styles rose to fame 13 years ago when One Direction was formed for ITV’s X Factor. The five members effectively disbanded in 2016.

‘A superstar poster boy for a discredited course’