Mr Gove's Education Review

 

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ducation secretary Michael Gove is launching the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government’s review of the primary and secondary school National Curriculum today Thursday, 20 January 2011. The review will examine what core facts schools should be teaching, and what flexibility to give to teachers to set courses. Mr Gove said that history and geography lessons should emphasise the learning of facts and equip children with essential knowledge. He attacked the last government for removing "actual content" in favour of a more thematic approach. Ministers are also concerned that the geography curriculum does not identify any continents, rivers or mountains or name any countries apart from the UK – although, they note, it does mention the European Union. The government says the music curriculum makes no mention of individual composers or pieces of music.

Mr Gove told John Humphrys on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "You (should) have a curriculum, which instead of telling people how to teach, tells them what to teach in certain core subjects.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "This is a pointless review when ministers have already determined that children should have a 1950s-style curriculum."

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, pointed out that, "The subjects and skills taught in schools should not be based on ministers' pet interests. It remains to be seen whether teachers, in Mary Bousted’s words, will, “Be allowed to decide the specifics of what is taught, in partnership with employers and the local community, within a broad and balanced centrally agreed framework curriculum.”

Written on Thursday, 20 January 2011

Originally posted on Thursday, 27 January 2011