As IT becomes ever less popular among secondary pupils, E-skills is warning that the UK will fall behind the global economy if it cannot produce the next generation of highly skilled IT professionals.

A-level Computing students declined by 10 per cent to 5,068 in 2008, compared with the year before and by 50 per cent compared with 2003.

The number of students taking ICT at A-level dropped to 12,277 in 2008, from 18,029 in 2003.

Computing A-levels now make up just 0.6 per cent of all A-levels taken in the UK, and ICT GCSEs fell 14 per cent on last year, now comprising 1.5 per cent of all GCSEs sat across the UK.

The curriculum needs to be more attractive if the UK is going to keep pace with the rest of the world, said Margaret Sambell, director of strategy at e-skills UK.

“The continued decline in the number of students choosing IT-related A-levels and GCSEs highlights a serious issue for the UK," she said.

"In order to compete in the technology intensive globalised economy, we need an inspiring curriculum in schools that attracts increasing numbers of talented students into technology-related degrees and careers."