JDMcDsblog

This was the heading in today’s Independent, regarding the propsosed reform of the English national curriculum, but it clearly has resonance in Scotland as the CfE moves towards cross curricular themes

Here are what some of the points quoted in the paper

Yes…

* It makes the curriculum more relevant by introducing topics such as global warming and how to buy a home or open a bank account

* Teachers will have more freedom to introduce catch-up classes for slow learners, and more taxing programmes for high-fliers

* Youngsters will be given their own personalised learning plan, tailored to help them study at their own speed

the present curriculum does not do enough to prepare youngsters for the modern world.

No…

* Some teachers argue that the curriculum could be ‘dumbed down’, leaving less time for traditional subjects such as history or geography

* The national curriculum testing regime will make it impossible to fit in the new topics being encouraged by ministers

* Teachers brought up in the old system may not be sufficiently trained to tackle the new topics

Dr Boston, Chief Executive of the QCA paints a graphic picture of a teacher entering a lesson under the present system. “If the teacher covered the syllabus each term, and the syllabus for the year, then they could be judged to be ‘teaching’, even if few in the room were learning,” he said. Under the new system, there will be more emphasis on “personalised learning” – the mantra often repeated by ministers. It will work like this. In an English class, for instance, you could have some well developed readers and some less developed readers. Some of the class could be given easier books to start on (Dr Boston cites George Orwell) whereas others could spend their time on the novels of Thomas Hardy or HG Wells.