Member Article

Curriculum "out of step" with economy, say CBI

Businesses want an “ambitious, highly rigorous” curriculum to be taught in schools, say the CBI.

The comments come in response to the Government’s proposed reform of the National Curriculum for five to 16-year-olds, which has caused controversy among education professionals.

Neil Carberry, CBI director of Employment and Skills suggested current design and technology curriculum was “out of step” with the needs of modern economy, with too great a focus on basic craft skills which was reinforcing prejudices about applied subjects being “second-rate.”

He said: “Employers want a much more coherent education system through secondary school and sixth form, which gives young people the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for the world of work. The new national curriculum must reflect this by articulating a route to 18 in key subjects, like maths.”

“Businesses want an ambitious, highly rigorous curriculum in terms of what we aim for, but one which doesn’t over-prescribe specifics better left to teachers. While many of the proposals the Government makes are valuable – especially on rigour – we don’t think the overall approach passes this test.”

Mr Carberry also called for improvements in maths and science, saying business demand in these areas had long outstripped supply.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has faced backlash from teachers over the proposals.

A secondary school teacher from Manchester, Debra Kidd, has formed a petition that has been signed by over 2,000 teachers from across independents, academies, primary and secondary schools.

Analysis by the Independent newspaper suggested the “vast majority” of signatories were serving teachers.

Commenting last week, Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Teachers and school leaders feel that they have had no ownership of this new curriculum. Teachers are not resistant to change but they have valid, well justified concerns about the programmes of study in some of the subjects.

“If their views are not taken on board, there is a real danger that implementation will be rushed, poorly implemented and could result in a drop in standards.

“Mr Gove will have to rely on school leaders to lead the implementation of whatever revised National Curriculum is finally agreed, so it would be an own goal to plough ahead without engaging school leaders more widely in its development.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .