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| MPs call for simpler curriculum | MPs call for simpler curriculum |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The national curriculum for five to 16-year-olds in England is too heavily controlled by government, the Commons schools select committee has said. | The national curriculum for five to 16-year-olds in England is too heavily controlled by government, the Commons schools select committee has said. |
| The curriculum should be slimmed-down, according to the cross-party committee of MPs. | The curriculum should be slimmed-down, according to the cross-party committee of MPs. |
| And schools should have to follow the curriculum only in the core subjects of English, maths, science and ICT. | |
| The government has accepted some reform is necessary, but says the curriculum is crucial to raising standards. | The government has accepted some reform is necessary, but says the curriculum is crucial to raising standards. |
| The committee's report said there should be a cap on the proportion of the curriculum prescribed by central government. | The committee's report said there should be a cap on the proportion of the curriculum prescribed by central government. |
| "Our view is that it should be less than half of teaching time," the report said. | "Our view is that it should be less than half of teaching time," the report said. |
| It said teachers had been "de-skilled" by high levels of central government guidance and prescription. | It said teachers had been "de-skilled" by high levels of central government guidance and prescription. |
| "At times schooling has appeared more of a franchise operation, dependent on a recipe handed-down by government rather than the exercise of professional expertise by teachers." | "At times schooling has appeared more of a franchise operation, dependent on a recipe handed-down by government rather than the exercise of professional expertise by teachers." |
| Ministerial meddling must stop Committee chairman Barry Shearman | Ministerial meddling must stop Committee chairman Barry Shearman |
| The MPs said all schools should be allowed just to follow the curriculum in core subjects - a freedom already enjoyed by the government's flagship academy schools. | The MPs said all schools should be allowed just to follow the curriculum in core subjects - a freedom already enjoyed by the government's flagship academy schools. |
| The committee's report recommended parents be given a copy of the national curriculum for their children's Key Stage so that they were "better informed". | The committee's report recommended parents be given a copy of the national curriculum for their children's Key Stage so that they were "better informed". |
| Pupils' opinions | Pupils' opinions |
| The report raised concerns about a lack of continuity between the primary and secondary curriculums and criticised the Department for Children, Schools and Families for not taking pupils' opinions into account. | The report raised concerns about a lack of continuity between the primary and secondary curriculums and criticised the Department for Children, Schools and Families for not taking pupils' opinions into account. |
| "Despite the department's emphasis on pupil voice in schools, nowhere in the evidence submitted to us did we get a sense that the department particularly concerns itself with how the national curriculum is experienced by children and young people." | "Despite the department's emphasis on pupil voice in schools, nowhere in the evidence submitted to us did we get a sense that the department particularly concerns itself with how the national curriculum is experienced by children and young people." |
| Mr Shearman wants a cap on central government control of the curriculum | Mr Shearman wants a cap on central government control of the curriculum |
| The committee also rejected calls for pupils to start in reception at age four. | The committee also rejected calls for pupils to start in reception at age four. |
| An interim report of Sir Jim Rose's review into the primary curriculum - due to be published later this month - suggested summer-born children might benefit from starting school in the September after their fourth birthday, rather than in the following January. | An interim report of Sir Jim Rose's review into the primary curriculum - due to be published later this month - suggested summer-born children might benefit from starting school in the September after their fourth birthday, rather than in the following January. |
| "Due to their low practitioner-to-child ratios, these settings cannot cater for the needs of very young children," the committee concluded. | "Due to their low practitioner-to-child ratios, these settings cannot cater for the needs of very young children," the committee concluded. |
| 'Simplicity' | 'Simplicity' |
| Mr Shearman said: "Simplicity is the main message from our inquiry into the national curriculum. | Mr Shearman said: "Simplicity is the main message from our inquiry into the national curriculum. |
| "We need a simpler, more coherent curriculum. We need to trust schools and teachers more and empower teachers to do what they do best. | "We need a simpler, more coherent curriculum. We need to trust schools and teachers more and empower teachers to do what they do best. |
| "There is a regrettable tendency for governments to make continual changes to the structure and framework of the curriculum. | "There is a regrettable tendency for governments to make continual changes to the structure and framework of the curriculum. |
| "Ministerial meddling must stop." | "Ministerial meddling must stop." |
| Conservative MPs on the committee went further and called for state schools to be given the freedom to opt out of the curriculum altogether. | Conservative MPs on the committee went further and called for state schools to be given the freedom to opt out of the curriculum altogether. |
| "The only way of guaranteeing that politicians and technocrats won't keep overloading the curriculum is to give schools the right to opt out of it", said Tory MP Douglas Carswell. | "The only way of guaranteeing that politicians and technocrats won't keep overloading the curriculum is to give schools the right to opt out of it", said Tory MP Douglas Carswell. |
| The Department for Children, Schools and Families said it "utterly rejected" the claim that schooling was a "franchise operation" run by ministers. | The Department for Children, Schools and Families said it "utterly rejected" the claim that schooling was a "franchise operation" run by ministers. |
| 'Disappointing' | 'Disappointing' |
| Schools Minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry said: "The national curriculum has been at the heart of raising the quality of education. | Schools Minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry said: "The national curriculum has been at the heart of raising the quality of education. |
| "No-one wants to go back to the days where there were no minimum national standards for what children were taught and parents had no idea what was going on in classes. | "No-one wants to go back to the days where there were no minimum national standards for what children were taught and parents had no idea what was going on in classes. |
| "We agree with teachers that the curriculum should be slimmed down and more coherent so children don't fall back when they change schools - that's why we are have already overhauled the secondary curriculum and launched the biggest review of the primary curriculum for more than a decade." | "We agree with teachers that the curriculum should be slimmed down and more coherent so children don't fall back when they change schools - that's why we are have already overhauled the secondary curriculum and launched the biggest review of the primary curriculum for more than a decade." |
| She said it was disappointing that the report had "written off Sir Jim Rose's root-and-branch review of the primary curriculum before it is even published". | She said it was disappointing that the report had "written off Sir Jim Rose's root-and-branch review of the primary curriculum before it is even published". |