Launch of the National Curriculum Review
I have just returned from the Launch event of the review of the National Curriculum in England. Held at Twyford Church C of E High school in Acton. NAME was invited to this launch as the main voice for music education in schools and as subject representative for Music. We appear to be the only music organisation in attendance. It is significant that NAME was invited and a measure of the authority which the association holds. There was lovely music being performed by students from the school, it has a specialism in music and modern foreign languages, the music was doing a lovely PR job! The shop window again.
Gove made it apparent very early on after his praise of the teaching profession, and the assertion that it is teachers’ who know best how to teach’ that he was after content. He went onto criticize everything about the current curriculum and the levels of attainment achieved at GCSE, hardly a compliment to the hard work of the current students and teachers. It was demoralising.
Gove does not see the English bacc. as a threat to other subjects, he assured us all that schools would be ensuring there was a broad , balanced curriculum with adequate choice for all students, this was backed up by two head teachers on the panel. He would not be drawn that schools will be focussing on the baccalaureate subjects, and that as a measure of a schools success it could have a detrimental effect on the take up of other subjects. He is after a content driven curriculum, with ‘essential knowledge’ that children should learn. We are in very dangerous territory, who is going to decide on the content? There is no mention of the creation of new knowledge or even the skills needed to utilise and develop new ideas from a knowledge base. I am worried that music and the arts are being viewed as very much enrichment subjects and not as an integral part of the curriculum.
‘ The new National Curriculum should embody for all children their cultural and scientific inheritance’ Tim Oates reiterated that the curriculum doesn’t need to be motivating, that is the teachers job. It is a very narrow view of education and is this really what will be necessary for the 21st century. A call for evidence has been made today. So here we go!
www.education.gov.uk/NCReviewcallforevidence
