Curriculum in the UK essays

Curriculum in the UK essays The national curriculum has been criticized and continually revised since its inception in 1988. Brought about by the governmental pressures away from comprehensivism and toward the marketplace, the national curriculum was met with immediate criticism. The national curriculum was extensively modified in the years after 1988, moving curriculum decisions away from teachers and toward the government, based on largely political, rather than educational motives. Overall, while a national curriculum can potentially provide a number of benefits, the national curriculum of 1988 Before delving too deeply into the issue of the national curriculum, it is important to understand the purpose and content of curriculum. Curriculum can be defined as: "A structured plan of intended learning outcomes, underpinning knowledge, skills, behaviour and associated learning experiences. The learning plan is generally organised as a sequenced combination of modules so that a student can achieve specified educational and training outcomes. The curriculum includes the syllabus, teaching guides, an assessment guide and required learning resources" (TAFE NSW). A number of events and trends led up to the advent of the national curriculum in 1988. During the 1960s, there had been a move in the country toward comprehensivism in schools that soundly defeated by the mid-1980s. At the same time, conservative politicians called for a curriculum that focused on core competencies like reading writing and arithmetic, and was driven by the market place. Further, the governments prior to the mid- 1980s worked hard to dramatically reduce the powers of Local Education Authorities (LEAs) (Gillard; Education in England). Together, these trends paved the way for the planning and implementation of the national It is important to consider that Margaret Thatcher had been education secretary as 1970, when...