An update on the National Curriculum review

Friday 21 October 2011

Jonathan Savage discusses the National Curriculum review, with a focus on music's place in particular.

As I am sure you are aware, the National Curriculum is currently under review. Information about the review and what the panel may or may not be considering has been hard to come by so, in that context, it was interesting to read Warwick Mansell’s piece in The Guardian earlier this week. I would urge you to read this for yourselves.

A few things struck me (again) having read this article. Firstly, the potential arrogance of Government Ministers in prescribing content or pedagogies for adopting in schools across the United Kingdom (apparently Gibb favours a particular approach to long division!). We’ll have to wait and see whether that is included in the recommendations despite the entire mathematics education community being against it. More generally, it seems certain that specific core knowledge will be prescribed within the new National Curriculum orders leaving us wondering whose view about what is or is not important for children to learn has carried the day.

Secondly, the Review seems to be recommending significant changes to the assessment processes that underpin the current National Curriculum. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the levels of attainment disappearing. But, before you start jumping to joy, have a look at what they may be replacing this with. Personalised learning (or what I would call ‘differentiation’ from the teacher’s perspective) may well play a less important role that it currently does. There have been significant comments about this from the Twitterati.

Thirdly, Mansell highlighs the slipping timescale for the Review and the implementation (should the Government decide to adopt them) of the panel’s findings. Originally Gove promised first drafts of programmes of study for English, Maths, Science and PE in August; this was then delayed until October; now we are being told late autumn. Formal consultation with schools is meant to start in January 2012, with final documentation being released in September 2012 for first teaching in September 2013 (for these subjects only). Other subjects will be taught in schools a year later.

Slipping timelines and delays in implementing policy seems like a common occurrence nowadays. Even in the music community we have the farce of the Cagian (the sound of silence?) National Plan for Music Education (Tom Service’s piece this week is also worth a read). It hardly inspires confidence does it?

On a related matter, once the new National Curriculum is introduced the Times Educational Supplement reported that there are no resources or support available to help schools get to grips with it. I suppose this could be seen as good or bad, depending on what you think of the type of support teachers might need (or whether they need it at all)? As someone who led the support for music teachers for the previous National Curriculum, I would like to think that it can make a very positive impact on teachers’ work.

In terms of Music and other arts subjects, there is still considerable uncertainty about whether or not they will be included in the National Curriculum at all. Most people I meet tend to think they won’t be. And, worryingly from my point of view, there are significant voices in the music education community who think that this will be a good thing. Perhaps they should stand up now and tell us all, in public, why they see this as a positive step for music education?

Muttered comments about the ‘good old days’ of music education prior to the ‘imposition’ of a National Curriculum; cynical remarks about the National Curriculum being ‘a crutch’ for those teachers who can’t think for themselves, and acting as ‘a limit on the creativity’ of those teachers who can, are all very unhelpful in my view. If you think music education would be better ‘freed’ from the ‘restrictions’ of the state, then lets hear a rationale argument for that now. Oh, and finally, whilst you are at it, do tell me how every child in every school will get their entitlement to a comprehensive music education similar to that outlined in legislation within the current National Curriculum framework for Music?

This article first appeared on Jonathan Savage's blog on 5 October 2011.