23rd November 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The government’s plans for the new primary school curriculum have come under fire this week from critics who say the plans reflect conservative ministers’ personal preferences instead of what is best for students. Dubbed the ‘conservative curriculum’, teachers have commented that the new plans are politicised and undemocratic.
Under the new curriculum, children aged 5 will be required to recite poetry, and languages will be compulsory from age 7. There will also be a rigorous focus on grammar and spelling from an early age. Teachers are concerned that the curriculum is out of touch, reflecting the private school experiences of politicians in the 50s and 60s.
Educationalists from institutions all over the country have responded to the plans by saying we need an innovative curriculum, which allows children to use their imaginations and stretches skills development in technology. The system should reward risk taking, and view failure as a learning curve rather than a barrier to progression. There is no hope of achieving this, teachers say, if students continue to have to sit exhausting numbers of tests and exams.