Changes to the National Curriculum

Changes to the National Curriculum Since the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1992, a number of changes have been made to its structure and implementation. Identify and explain these changes and assess the contribution of the National Curriculum in the effort to raise standards in Education. This essay will describe, identify and explain the changes that have occurred to the National Curriculum (NC) since its conception in 1992. It will also assess these changes and evaluate the benefits and difficulties that it has experienced since 1992. The Education Reform Act (ERA) came into effect in 1988, this enabled Kenneth Baker the Conservative Minister of Education to implement the roll-out of the National Curriculum in 1992 within primary / secondary education. However, prior to 1992 there had been no National Curriculum and previously teachers had worked out their own schemes of work that they deemed appropriate for their pupils. As a result of this the standard of education across the country varied considerably and the methods employed to teach were wide-ranging. With the implementation of the National Curriculum in 1992, responsibility was shifted away from teachers to centralised government over what was to be taught. The National Curriculum established a set-framework of learning to enable children to move freely between schools as they would be learning from the same framework. The National Curriculum ensured that schools taught a certain range of subjects, this consisted of ten subjects. The subjects were divided into two sub-categories (core and foundation). The three main core subjects were English, Maths and Science, and together with seven other foundation subjects (Art, Home Economics. Music, History, a Modern Foreign Language (only compulsory in secondary schools), Geography and Physical Education created the foundation of the National Curriculum. Compulsory National tests (SATS) were introduced at 7, 11 and 14 on core subjects. The results are published annually in league tables (along with GCSE/A levels and truancy statistics). Changes occurred to the National Curriculum from its inception. Rather than being embraced the National Curriculum was met with hostility from some teachers and most of the larger teachers unions. One of the main criticisms of the National Curriculum by teachers and teaching unions was that at first glance that it contained far too many subjects and was considered to be too rigid, compared to what was previously taught. This meant that it was difficult to teach the subject well as the students had to learn so many subjects, and they presumed that it would be very difficult for students. The National Curriculum was also criticized for being extremely Eurocentric, as it was primarily focused around European culture, giving those from ethnic backgrounds very little opportunity to learn about their roots. Certain sections of the public also argued that the government intentionally fashioned the National Curriculum to remove subjects which they as a political party are against for political reasons, such as sociology, politics, and environmental sciences (they were never contained in the National Curriculum). However, a benefit to the National Curriculum was that teachers now had to educate students in a range of subjects. This gave children / students a better start for the skills they would need for later in life. It was also disputed that the national Curriculum helped to reduce the division of girls and boys subjects, as both sexes were taught the same subjects. This helped to reduce the stereotyping of gender. In 1993, teachers decided to boycott the national curriculum testing arrangements (SATS) after complaining about the workload. The Secretary of State for Education, in a move in the right direction asked Sir Ron Dearing, who was the current Chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment AuthorityHYPERLINK http://www.bookrags.com/tandf/school-curriculum-and-assessment-tf#p2000a9f68830215001 (SCAA), to review the national curriculum. Dearing made an Interim Report in 1993 and a Final Report in 1994 (The Dearing Report) after a period of consultation with teachers and the teachers unions. In his report his recommended on slimming down the curriculum, and improving its administration. He also recommended that the slimmed down national curriculum should not be altered for five years and that national tests should be simplified without sacrificing validity or reliability. The revised curriculum was implemented from August 1995. The 1992, Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education) formed as part of the major overhaul and centralisation of the school system begun by the Education Reform Act 1988, which introduced the National Curriculum, extensive testing in schools and the publication of league tables. Ofsted inspections were carried out on school every 6 years. This change was introduced as it was believed standards needed to be raised in schools. Many people thought Ofsted inspections were a good idea, if schools were failing, it was noticed and measures were put in place in order to improve these schools. However, Ofsted were also often seen to be too strict on schools, making it difficult for schools to pass inspection highly. Also, it was felt that many teachers and schools would improve their teaching standards while they were being inspected. Some schools would also send some of their worst behaved students on school trips for the inspections. This defeated the object of Ofsted inspections as it wasnt the normal teaching standards that were being tested. Recent inspections by Ofsted have revealed that although a good proportion of schools had improved since they were last checked many were stilling failing. Figures released by Ofsted in 2009 show that 11% of schools checked since last September were rated outstanding, while 9% were not up to scratch. [Angela Harrison, BBC] In the year 2006-07, 14% of those checked were outstanding and 6% were inadequate. [Angela Harrison, BBC] In 1997, the incoming The New Labour Government came into power in the UK. They Introduced the National Literacy Strategy to all Primary Schools in England from September 1998 after setting targets for pupils at Key Stage 2 in English (80%), Mathematics (75), but not in Science. Previously a pilot project had been tested during 1996, which involved schools in 14 Local Education Authorities. The strategy was planned for teachers to teach a daily Literacy Hour, which followed a pattern of 30 minutes whole class teaching, then group work and concluding with a plenary session. A number of documents have been published by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) to help teachers raise standards in literacy at the time. The National Literacy Strategy framework endeavoured to improve standards for all primary aged pupils. The strategys purpose was to make sure that all pupils were receiving on a daily basis dedicated one hour of literacy. The end result would give pupils the opportunity to develop skills in reading, grammar, spelling, and oral work and help raise standards in teaching and learning. In the following year of September 1999 The National Numeracy Strategy framework was introduced and like the literacy strategy, aimed at raising standards for all primary pupils. Similar to the National Literacy Strategy it prescribed a one hour daily mathematics lesson for all pupils. The Five Year Review in 2000 set out the main aims and purposes of the National Curriculum for the first time. The four main purposes of the National Curriculum are: To establish an entitlement. To establish standards. To promote continuity and coherence. To promote public understanding. The National Curriculum has been put into place in the hope that children will achieve and will have an entitlement to learning irrespective of their background, be it race, gender, cultural or otherwise. It also makes expectations for childrens attainment explicit for all concerned and sets out national standards for performance. These standards can then be used for target setting, measuring progress and monitoring progression. The Foundation Stage was introduced by the Labour government in 2000, to provide guidance for settings which provide care and education to pre-school children (aged 3 to 5). It was named the Foundation Stage because it lays the foundations for childrens later learning. [Neaum and Tallack, 2002]. It evolved from the Rumbold Report of 1990, which investigated the educational provision for the under 5s, and found that there was a patchy, unplanned curriculum which was unsatisfactory. In 2004 a review was carried out of Key Stage 4, from this review the introduction of Entitlement subjects. The Curriculum Entitlement Framework provides pupils with access to a wider range of learning opportunities suited to their needs, aptitudes and interests, irrespective of where they live or the school they attend. In 2007 the government abolished formal written Key Stage 1 SATS and replaced them with teacher recorded assessments. The Key Stage 1 assessments are very low key and completed by the pupils teacher over a period of a few weeks so they will be hardly aware that an assessment is taking place. In 2008 a review of Secondary National Curriculum resulted in new Key Stage 3 and 4 Curriculum which was introduced in 2009. This updated part of the curriculum now offers Diplomas and other alternatives to current GCSE and A-level examinations. In 2009 the then current Labour government announces that Key Stage 3 Sats examinations are to be abolished and that Sir Jim Rose will be conducting a full review of the Primary National Curriculum. The findings of the report will be implemented from September 2011. In May 2010 a general election was held and New Conservative / Liberal Democrat government came to power under David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The future changes to the new primary national curriculum which were put forward by Sir Jim Rose to be implemented from September 2011 have been shelved, the government stating that it does not intend to proceed with the new primary curriculum. Instead they are committed to giving schools more freedom from unnecessary prescription and bureaucracy. They have always made clear their intention to make changes to the National Curriculum that will ensure a relentless focus on the basics and give teachers more flexibility than the proposed new primary curriculum offered. The National Curriculum has undergone considerable change and development over the past twenty years and is still being altered and adjusted at the present day. Controversy still exists as to the approach education should adopt for those over the age of 14 testing is thought to be heavily based on recall of knowledge encouraging a lack of skill development activities. Many of the original subjects that were mandatory no longer are, as it was felt the curriculum was too full. In my opinion, since the introduction of the National Curriculum, I believe that it was the keystone to greatly improving the standards of education that children receive in todays society. This is because before the standard of education students received was highly based on class status and was typically biased towards the middle / upper class families, another factor was your locality in the country. Teachers also taught a range of subjects that they wished to teach as there were no set subjects so what you could be taught varied across the country. This led to many students leaving school with limited knowledge. With the introduction of the Literacy and Numeracy hours Sats results have increased again of the subsequent years but again now have slowed to a halt. As seen in the table below. But on the flip side having felt that on the whole the National Curriculum is effective it is also somewhat flawed. Children are taught to the test at a detriment to other subjects, and so they are missing out on a broad and balanced curriculum. Schools and teaching staff will also admit that they are being forced to teach to the test; cutting out subjects such as history, geography and art to inflate their position on national league tables or else look as if they are failing. The national tests also distort childrens education as they are being offered a restricted timetable as teachers are forced to focus on the core subjects. In a number of schools an emphasis on tests in English, Mathematics and Science limits the range of work in these subjects in particular year groups, as well as more broadly across the curriculum in some primary schools. Having said this, the positive points outweighed the negative greatly as it was the start towards the National Curriculum that we currently have today.

Computer and I :: Personal Narrative Writing

Computer and I Well, what can I say about the long history that computers and I have had. I can hardly remember a time when a computer was not part of my life. Ever since I was in elementary school I can remember going to the computer labs to learn all about computers. Back in the day though; this was fun stuff, all you did was go to the labs for a couple of hours and play computer games. I remember playing countless hours of Oregon Trail, but that also has to do with the fact that to play one games takes the longest time. The next step in my history with computers was the word processor. This was something my sister asked for on her birthday. The word processor days were not that bad. It was just like using a typewriter but being able to erase your mistakes. It was also interesting because if you wanted to you could switch it to typewriter mode and it would type without using the computer screen and so it was just like using an old typewriter. Some people might think that a word processor might be a little primitive but it is not. You could do many things with it, why everything the word processor programs have on your computer it used to have. You could do spreadsheet and most of the things that Microsoft programs can do now. Later on; my family purchased a computer, here is where things got kind of hard but better at the same time. Since I was young when we got it there was no need for me to be messing with the complicated things. All I ever did on it was use it for pure entertainment. Computers were fun then; but only when you where playing games. Soon came the years when I actually had to sit down and write a paper for class.

Charles Dickens & Oliver Twist Essay

Oliver is mistreated by the Sowerberrys and after having a fight with Noah Claypole he runs away to the dangerous place London, no place for young orphans like Oliver. It was a dangerous place because young orphans had no chance of surviving in the large city. A lot of intoxicated men and drug addicts were out in the open lose to do as they pleased, Oliver could have also got molested. On one of Jack Dawkins travels also known as the Artful Doger an employee of Fagin he caught his eye on Oliver. He takes Oliver to meet one of the worst characters Fagin. Fagin takes in children who are homeless and trains them to pick pocket for him in his den which has other young children living there including the Artful Doger. The Dodgers description is that â€Å"he had about him all the airs and manners of a man† this suggests that he was not allowed to be a child. He has had to grow up fast, because of what has happened to him in his life. He has been on the streets and had to learn how to survive, which has led to him becoming one of Fagin’s boys and making money from other peoples possessions. Fagin is a: criminal and corrupter of young children he teaches them to pick pock for him. The two main corrupt characters in the novel â€Å"Oliver Twist† are Fagin and Bill Sykes. Fagin’s Den isn’t a very clean place and with the area his den is based in, has a lot of thieves and prostitutes roaming around in. This is not a place for young boys it has sick, twisted minded people like Fagin who is a prime example. He corrupts young children and shows them that stealing possessions from others isn’t a crime. Fagin shows Oliver some tricks he uses to make money. Jack and another of Fagin’s boys demonstrates to Oliver how the job is done, they pretend to steal a handkerchief and spectacle case from Fagin’s pocket without him noticing. Fagin tells Oliver to, ‘Make ’em your models. ‘ Fagin wants Oliver to be just like the other boys he asks Oliver â€Å"You’d like to be able to make pocket-handkerchiefs as easy as Charley Bates, wouldn’t you, my dear? Not knowing the true meaning of what has been showed to him Oliver replies â€Å"very much indeed, if you’ll teach me sir† Dickens shows us the readers how innocent Oliver was and how corrupt he was too. Fagin tells Oliver his boys must be Oliver’s role models. Bill Sikes is introduced to Oliver and Oliver is sent to do a job with him. Oliver gets caught when trying to break in the house his then shoot and Bill leaves Oliver alone to defend for himself. This is not fair Oliver shouldn’t be treated like this for other peoples needs his treated like a slave. Bill Sikes is corrupt because he takes children to do his jobs for him; he uses and abuses them just like Nancy the prostitute. This is unfair because Oliver is being pushed about and should be treated with respect. Bill isn’t a committed person towards the boys, his selfish, and inconsiderate he was only out for himself. Bill is a violent man and a murderer he has no feelings for anyone. Oliver doesn’t become corrupted because he realizes what Fagin is doing is wrong and causes people to suffer have unbearable feelings. Corruption can happen to anyone especially if you’re young and naive. We learn in this book how unfair and corrupt the society was through Oliver because a young boy was submitted to torture and pain. Corruption is an evil and devious thing that causes abhorrence and misery. England showed this by vital laws being brought in the society, to make people aware of what they were doing was it right or wrong. People were treated as prisoners and they were prohibited to have healthy food and have a spectacular life. If they were filled with self-esteem they would want to carry on, be determined in life and enjoy it; in today’s society they would be very appreciative.

An Unlikely Murderer essays

An Unlikely Murderer essays One would think that crimes with such a gruesome nature would be committed by a hatchet-wielding maniac as put by Russell Aiuto (1). But rather, the suspect was that of a church-going, Sunday-school-teaching, respectable, spinster-daughter(Aiuto 1). The young woman, Lizzie Borden, was charged with the killing of her father and stepmother, a crime worthy of Classical Greek tragedy (Aiuto 1). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to research the life and trial of Lizzie Borden in order to determine if she was innocent or guilty of parricide, the murder of ones parents. It was on the 19th of July, 1860, that in Fall River, Massachusetts Lizzie Borden was born (Radin 268). She grew up there alongside her father, Andrew Borden. He was a very prosperous man, starting out as the towns undertaker and ending up investing his profits into the textile industry. When Lizzie made it in to her teens, Mr. Borden was worth $500,000 (Paton 432). Being as prosperous as he was, he only had to places to spend his money: his two daughters, Lizzie and her older sister Emma (Paton 432). Andrew Borden also had a wife, Abby Borden. She was the stepmother of Lizzie and Emma and a hated one at that. Whenever Lizzie and Abby were together in the house, which happened a lot, the atmosphere was electric (Paton 433). Abby was called Mrs. Borden, and Lizzie did not eat when Abby was around. Their relationship was so distant, that Lizzie only spoke to her when it was needed (Paton 433). Lizzie first despised Abby when Andrew decided to purchase Abbys sisters home and have it in his wifes name. This prevented his sister-in-law from getting evicted, but Lizzie saw it as a chance for Abby to take advantage of Andrews money (Paton 433). What most people do not know, is that Lizzie had somewhat of a criminal record before she was charged with the murder. The fir...

Sex Education Essay

Sex Education Essay Sex education is a process that begins at birth and continues until the day you die. It is a process of building a strong foundation for sexual health. There are many misunderstandings and non-factual opinions that go along with this topic even though it is constantly discussed. It includes sexual development, reproduction, intimacy, gender roles and relationships. Sexual education should begin at home. Parents and guardians ought to be the primary instructors of sex education for their children. Daily, parents should take advantage of every opportunity to teach this subject to their children. From the beginning of a child’s life, they learn how to respond to affection, show love, and how to react in different types of relationships. Children even learn about their sexuality when their parents speak to them, change their clothes, play with them or teach them their body parts. As they progress from children to teenagers or adolescents they continue to learn about their sexualities consistently. However, some parents and guardians are very uncomfortable about talking about or providing information about sex or sexual education. They are either too embarrassed about talking about the extreme topic of sex, afraid of providing to much information to push their children to act on what they have told them or shy of not knowing the answers to th e questions that their children might ask. Honest, open communication between parents and children through childhood, pre-teen, adolescent and young adulthood can help young people to mature into sexually healthy adults. Research has shown that parents and children have a range of discomfort levels when it comes to discussing sexuality. School-based sexuality education complements and supplements the sexuality education children receive from their families, religious and community groups. Therefore, due to the necessity of school-based sexuality education it is in my opinion that it be a part of the curriculum for students in the Bahamian High Schools that is junior and senior high. This course needs to be taught in the various high schools for a number of reasons including: to students to build a strong foundation, to decrease teenage pregnancy, to make students aware of Sexually Transmitted diseases and prevent them from occurring, to teach about abstinence, which is the better way and to inform the students about sexual orientation and homosexuality. The primary goal of sex education in the schools should be to help young people to build a foundation as they mature into sexually healthy adults. These programs should assist young people in understanding a positive view of sexuality, provide them with information and skills about taking care of their sexual health and help them make decisions about solving problems now and in the future. According to my interpretation, sex education should provide an opportunity for young people to develop and understand their values, attitudes, and beliefs about sexuality. This course should help young people to develop relationships and interpersonal skills and help them to exercise responsibility regarding sexual relationships including addressing abstinence, pressures to become prematurely involved in sexual intercourse and the use of contraception and other sexual health measures. Teenage Pregnancy is very rampant in today’s society. In a conversation with a senior high school teacher, she related that at least two young ladies from each senior class graduates being pregnant. She went on to say that this did not include the numerous others who end their classes prematurely as a result of their pregnant state and their inability to continue with regular schooling. What do you think is the cause of this? In my opinion the cause of pregnancies among these teenagers is incorrect education about sex from peers or neighbors or no sex education at all. If these students were educated from their entrance into the high school program with a sexual education class, the outcome might have been different. This does not mean that they would not have experimented with sexual intercourse or the opposite sex, it would have meant that they would have been better prepared to deal with the decisions or choices that they made. Sex education needs to be implemented in the h igh school coursework to make teenagers or pre-teens aware of the consequences of unprotected sex. Each of these teens or preteens will or have gone through puberty, therefore they need to be very well educated as to what can occur if they are sexually active, even for just one time. Sexual education would not stop teenage pregnancies but it indeed reduces them. Homosexuality is another topic that sexuality education will discuss. Teenagers come into contact with homosexuals on a day to day basis. They are forced to deal with homosexuality in their homes, their neighborhoods, their churches and even in their schools. These students are in their teen or adolescent years where they are learning about who they are and what their feelings mean. In my opinion, homosexuality is a misunderstanding, one that can be easily adopted by teenagers who are easily misunderstood. If they are not taught about both heterosexuality and homosexuality, they can easily fall prey to the homosexuals who are lurking in the society’s shadows. Sexual education would encourage heterosexuality- healthy relationships between males and females. It would teach students about sexual preference and that homosexuality is not hereditary. It would also help students to deal with feelings toward the same sex and with homosexuals that they come in contact with. Some may say that if teenagers are taught about sex and sexuality that their interest in it will intensify thus, resulting in experimentation. Although this might indeed be a true statement that teenagers are very curious, â€Å"curious minds will experiment.† Sexuality education is not an either or proposition. The reality is that young people need and deserve information about abstinence and contraception. Sex education would teach that sexuality is a natural, normal part of life. Abstinence from sexual intercourse is the most effective method of preventing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Abstinence is in fact the better way. Adolescent or pre-teens should be encouraged by not only their parents to delay sexual acts until they are physically, cognitively and emotionally ready for mature sexual relationships and their consequences. The coursework of sex education would offer them a wide range of information exclusively on abstinence until marriage. Interventions that are effective in encouraging teenagers to postpone sexual intercourse helps them to develop interpersonal skills they need to resist premature sexual involvement. For interventions to be most effective, teenagers need to be exposed to these programs before they initiate intercourse, preferably during their high school years. The sex education curriculum when implemented into the high school system will be designed to promote knowledge about human development and reproduction, to make students aware of the consequences of all types of sexual activity, and to promote young people’s respect for and appreciation of themselves, their families and others. This implementation would in fact help to reduce teenage pregnancy, for the reason that important topics such as puberty, sexual health and hygiene, reproductive systems, pregnancy and contraception will be focused on. These topics will discuss abstinence, condom use, diversity, pregnancy options, safer sex and sexual behavior. Students have to be encouraged to accept the shared responsibility of pregnancy prevention by teachers explaining the consequences of premature and unprotected sexual activity, urging responsible decisions about sexual intercourse, and encouraging healthy, respectful and safe male and female relationships. You can order a custom essay, research paper, term paper, thesis or dissertation on Sex Education topics from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers.

Marketing Process Model by Robert J. Dolan Term Paper

Marketing Process Model by Robert J. Dolan - Term Paper Example In the context of the organisations overall business practices, 75% of total products and services are exported in more than 100 nations through its 33 international offices (EADS, n.d.). The inclusion of Airbus within its business is one of the major beneficial factors for EADS in its global aircraft manufacturing process. EADS is further recognised as the major European industrial flagship which combines the major capabilities of four main market leaders of the global aircraft industry such as Airbus, Cassidian, Astrium as well as Eurocopter [1] (EADS, 2013). From the perspective of identifying the major customer base, it can be stated that the governments as well as the private sectors across the globe which incorporate aircraft facilities for military as well as commercial purposes are its key customers. The government of the UK is one of the major customer segments for EADS in terms of acquiring aircraft services in the nation for different purposes including both in the militar y as well as in the commercial service sectors. Moreover, it has been also observed that the overseas countries such as North America, Australia, India, Russia, China, Brazil as well as Middle East Countries, apart from the UK are also the major markets for EADS to deliver its range of innovative commercial as well as military aircrafts [2] (EADS, 2013).Airbus SAS is one of the major subsidiary companies of EADS which offers several kinds of jet-liner products, including military communication aircrafts, commercial airline aircrafts.... t manufacturing as well as aerospace commercial service industry with regard to various competitive marketing tools such as Marketing Situation Analysis, STP model as well as marketing mix. 2. Major Customers around the World In relation to the business performance of the organisation, it can be witnessed that the European roots of EADS is quite stronger. However, the aerospace and defence industry based operations of EADS is one of the major considerations for the organisation which entails a range of products and services both for the European and the global markets as well. In the context of the organisations overall business practices, 75% of total products and services are exported in more than 100 nations through its 33 international offices (EADS, n.d.). The inclusion of Airbus within its business is one of the major beneficial factors for EADS in its global aircraft manufacturing process. EADS is further recognised as the major European industrial flagship which combines the major capabilities of four main market leaders of the global aircraft industry such as Airbus, Cassidian, Astrium as well as Eurocopter [1] (EADS, 2013). From the perspective of identifying the major customer base, it can be stated that the governments as well as the private sectors across the globe which incorporate aircraft facilities for military as well as commercial purposes are its key customers. The government of the UK is one of the major customer segments for EADS in terms of acquiring aircraft services in the nation for different purposes including both in the military as well as in the commercial service sectors. Moreover, it has been also observed that the overseas countries such as North America, Australia, India, Russia, China, Brazil as well as Middle East Countries, apart

Toward a Praxis Theory of Suffering by Janice Morse Article

Toward a Praxis Theory of Suffering by Janice Morse - Article Example According to the author, there are two major behavioral states such as enduring (in which emotions are suppressed; it is manifested as an emotionless state) and emotional suffering (an overt state of distress in which emotions are released). Every individual who are suffering move back and forth between these two states based on their own needs, their acceptance of events, the context, and the needs and responses of others. The article has been important to me because it helped me realize the implications for the provision of comfort during the various states of suffering. "Nurses are the caretakers of suffering. Understanding suffering and the responses and needs of those who are suffering rests squarely on the shoulders of nurses, and easing and alleviating suffering is the heart of nursing. Nurses are at the bedside throughout the course of illness, and they are often the only support for those suffering, both patients and their families." (Morse, 2001). Therefore, understanding t he behavioral-experiential nature of suffering has a vital role in the practice of nursing and it helps one in offering the most comforting service to the patient who is suffering as well as the family which is affected. In conclusion, â€Å"Toward a Praxis Theory of Suffering† by Janice Morse has been one of the most fundamental articles which contribute to the effective nursing practice and one realizes the implications for the provision of comfort during suffering states.