subject: The introduction of the national curriculum in the uk [print this page] The introduction of the national curriculum in the uk
After the introduction of the Education Reform Act of 1988, the curriculum of both primary and secondary schools, which were state owned, were presented with new curriculum. This move meant that every child going through the schools that were owned by the state would have to go through the national curriculum. This already points to the fact that the new requirements did not affect the private schools. They as such were still at liberty to design their own curriculums. There are various reasons for the introduction of these requirements. This study aims at establishing these reasons as well as how this National Curriculum was introduced. It will go a step further to analyze and critically evaluate the effects and the impact of the policy for the introduction of the National Curriculum.
A Brief Description of the National Curriculum
In order to properly understand the reasons for the policy requiring a National Curriculum for schools that are owned by the states, it is important to have an understanding of the Curriculum itself. Basically, the National Curriculum was established with the aim of giving guidelines on the way students are to be taught. In other words, the government sought to control the way in which learning was to be directed in all its schools, with the intention of coming up with a consistent as well as a balanced way of instructing students. The National Curriculum clearly spells out the kinds of subjects that should be taught in schools, the intended level of cognition or knowledge and skills. This is aimed at ensuring that students know so much before they can be considered ready for the next stage of learning. The Curriculum also set forth, standards which every student should surpass in every subject (Bennett 1989). This is considered important especially for the teachers as they try to gauge the knowledge of students, with regard to the course content. It also explains the ways of reporting and assessing progress for every child (Bennett 1989).
This Curriculum has various stages, which aim at directing the education of children at their various developmental stages. The Curriculum is mainly meant for children of up to sixteen years of age. In every stage, there are various tests that are meant to give parents and teachers a rough idea of how well the child grasps the course content. Although these tests do not provide a very accurate report of the full capacity of the child, it provides a kind of a framework, on the basis of which every child can be assessed. This is important in that it provides a rating for the children as compared to other students taking similar courses across the country.
The Reasons for its Establishment
The major question surrounding this policy is; what would have motivated the development of this policy? What kind of explanation could be given for this development? Following the introduction of the Education Reform Act of the year 1988, several changes, in as far as the education system was managed in the UK, were made. One of the major changes that were provided for in the Act was the introduction of a National Curriculum. This would ensure that all schools that were under the management of the government would, among other things, be run from a common platform. Before the year 1988, every school had a free hand in determining what would be taught; only Religious Education was a must for all schools. However, this kind of arrangement provided for a lot of disparity regarding what was taught in schools, because every school taught what its management considered important. It became apparent that there was need for a balance in terms of what was being offered in the public schools. The government considered that without a framework within which all of its schools operate, there was never going to be any meaningful development, as well as proper formation of the children in as far as every developmental aspect was concerned, because schools would not always develop curriculums that suited the needs of the government. This understanding made the government to develop certain subjects, which were considered core, meaning that they had to be studied by every student. These were; Mathematics, English and Science. There are other courses as well, which form part of the curriculum, and whose aim is to ensure that students acquire the necessary skills for life. At the time when the schools determined what was best for the children, there was a greater disparity in terms of what was considered necessary skills for life. However, since the introduction of the National Curriculum, there is a national expectation on the part of every child.
Another reason why the National Curriculum was developed was to provide parents with a variety of choice from which to choose for their children. The parents would determine, based on the various schools' ability to adhere to the set curriculum, which school to take their children. This was also provided for in the Education Reform Act of 1988.
This development also saw the introduction of the publishing of the results of all national examinations. This was seen as having been important in that, it helped the parents, and teachers, to establish where the children were in terms of what was being offered. It was hoped also, that when children conceived of the competitive nature of the school system, they would be motivated to a greater deal of study, as well as the need to achieve. As already indicated earlier, it was also seen as an occasion for the pupils to be adequately prepared for moral, cultural, spiritual, and social development. This would eventually lead them to the assumption of greater responsibilities in their lives.
Another reason why the National Curriculum was introduced was the realization that, when schools were left to determine what they were going to offer, there was no continuity. Certain things would be taught in one year, and in the next, another thing would already be developed (Dolton and Vignoles 2002). This did not go very well with policy developers. It, as such, did not provide for the claim of any educational system in the UK.
It is important to mention however, that the although some of the provisions in the Act, especially the one requiring that parents choose where their children would go for education, it remains to be achieved. Most parents do not have this opportunity. It is also claimed that there are detrimental effects arising out of the league tables that were introduced with the introduction of the National Curriculum. This is because; the need to perform surpassed the importance of proper methods of study. The children ended up labeling certain subjects as hard, to be avoided at every possible occasion, as well as the easy ones; all in an attempt to perform well and please the teacher and parents.
According to a report that was released by The Children, Schools and Families Committee in April 2009, the government has a great stake regarding the kind of material that is taught in schools. This is seen as having serious implications for the growth of the country. It was considered that where the teachers were responsible for the setting of the curriculum, centrality of control of the curriculum would always be impossible. It would especially be impossible for the public to get an understanding of exact role of schools.
