BBC NEWS: Half of England's comprehensives—a type of school that provides the majority of middle-to-high school education in England—did not offer physics, chemistry, and biology GCSEs last year.
In two regions—Islington and Slough—not a single pupil studied the separate sciences.
GCSEs are taken by all high school students in the UK around the age of 16. Pupils have to make a decision when they are 14 over which GCSE subjects to study.
In the new curriculum introduced last year, most schools do a core science GCSE with "additional science" for those who are interested.
Separate or "triple" science GCSEs have largely become the preserve of grammar schools and private schools.
The lack of specific GCSEs is having an affect on the next level of exams taken by students at 17 to 18 years old, and university lecturers worry that it will impact the level of knowledge students have when they start earning science degrees at university.
In a separate story BBC Education Editor Gary Eason says that in a lecture in February this year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he wanted to double the number of pupils in state schools taking triple science to 100,000 a year, by 2014, but although students are entitled to be offered three GCSEs in the sciences—physics, chemistry, and biology—there is no legal requirement for schools to offer courses.
First of all ‘Separate Sciences’ are relatively difficult exams and are not appopriate for ALL abilities of pupils. Where comprehensive schools have very few ‘more able’ pupils then ‘Separate Sciences’ will, at best, be offered only to a relatively small number of their pupils.
Secondly, this Report fails to identify the progress made by the 400 Specialist Science Colleges in ensuring Triple Science is offered to their pupils. Whilst these schools are a minority of the 3000 or so secondary schools in England - their actions have benefited substantial numbers of pupils.