National and Summerhill Curriculums - Literature review Example

The National Curriculum and the Summerhill Curriculum (Overt and Hidden): Comparison and Relationship to Holistic Development Introduction The aim of this essay is to compare and contrast two types of school curricula in the United Kingdom: the National Curriculum (NC) and an alternative school curriculum (Summerhill Curriculum). The essay looks at how the two curricula provide for the effective teaching of Maths and English and contains a critique of how the two curricula can be used to enable the holistic development of a child or young person. To achieve this, reference is made to two important concepts: curriculum and holistic development. There are several definitions of the concept of curriculum. However, one simple definition is that provided by Horn (2002, p. 202). In this definition, curriculum is defined as a comprehensive description of the content, instruction and assessment that are undertaken within an educational system (Horn 2002, p. 202). On the other hand, holistic development is defined as an approach that helps children and young adults to develop their intellectual, spiritual, social and physical capabilities so that they can function properly (Huitt 2011, p. 1). The essay has three main sections. The first section will address the history, development and general aims of the two curricula. This will be followed by an analysis of the extent to which the two curricula consider the holistic needs of children. The third section will provide a detailed analysis of how the objectives of teaching Maths and English to Key Stage 2 (KS2) children under the two curricula are related to holistic development. Aims and objectives of the National Curriculum and the Summerhill curriculum The National Curriculum The NC was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1988 to be used in all schools that are maintained by the local authorities (Roberts 2014, p. 4). Whereas maintained schools are obliged to use the NC, non-maintained or independent schools are not obliged to use it. Such schools may develop their own curriculum based on the NC or still use the NC. The content of the material is arranged into four Key Stages (KS) that correspond to specific age groups of learners. Since its introduction, the NC has undergone a number of reviews. Roberts (2014, p. 7) notes that three of the reviews have been significant in changing the content and outline of the curriculum. The first one was the 1993 review that resulted in changes to the testing arrangements. The second one was the major review of 1999 that led to the slimming down of content and introduction of overt objectives. The third one was the “root and branch” review that was undertaken in 2007. The national curriculum has two broad aims (Department for Education 2013, p. 5). The first one is to promote the mental, physical, spiritual, social, cultural and moral development of the pupils in the country in school as well as in the society. The second aim is to prepare pupils for different opportunities and responsibilities that they will have in their adult lives. The Summerhill Curriculum The Summerhill education curriculum was introduced in 1921 as the foundation for the Summerhill School. Summerhill School is an independent educational institution that was started by A. S. Neill in 1921 in Germany before eventually being moved to the United Kingdom. In general, the Summerhill curriculum is radically different from the National Curriculum. This is evident in many ways. For instance, the Summerhill curriculum is based on the ability of learners to decide every day how they intend to spend their time (A. S. Neill’s Summerhill 2015). This means that the curriculum is not based on rigid structure of content. The core aims, objectives and purposes of the Summerhill curriculum are outlined in the Summerhill general policy as follows. First is to provide for the students a wide range of choices and opportunities that allow for learners to not only develop at their own pace but also pursue their interests (Ellis 2004, p. 44). Also, the curriculum is based on allowing children to play as much as they wish. Allowing children to play as the essential process of learning and development is one of the most important characteristics of the Summerhill curriculum. Therefore, the Summerhill curriculum aims at allowing children freedom to grow naturally, helping them to have power over their own lives, and enabling them to have a happy childhood that is free from coercion (Vaughan 2006, p. 119). The holistic needs of children The question of whether the aims of the National Curriculum and the Summerhill curriculum consider the holistic needs of children can be answered by considering two theories of effective learning: the cognitive theory and the socio-cultural learning theory. According to Bullock and Wikeley (2004, p. 64), in the cognitive theory, the concrete operational stage occurs when children are between 7 and 12 years. At this age, children are able to carry out logical operations with the aid of physical objects, are less egocentric and are able to succeed in carrying out class inclusion tasks (Bullock & Wikeley 2004, p. 64). This means that the children who are at this stage can easily classify objects according to similarities and differences. Therefore, their capacities determine the specific approaches that a tutor should use to help them learn. On the other hand, the concept of scaffolding, which is an essential aspect of the socio-cultural learning theory, holds that effective cognitive development of learners can be achieved by the presence of structured help from the tutor (Eysenck 2004, p. 547). What this means is that the learning process is progressive in nature and that for effective learning to occur, the tutor has to lead learners through tasks that are challenging but not impossible to complete (Eysenck 2004, p. 547). The aims and objectives of the National Curriculum take into consideration the need for holistic child development. This is seen in several ways. For instance, the use of the National Curriculum is meant to help learners to understand their individual weaknesses and strengths, to grow their sense of self, and to be able to answer the fundamental questions of life (Department for Education and Employment & Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 1999, p. 18). Also, the curriculum seeks to help students acquire an understanding of what is wrong and what is right. This is meant to help them develop the ability to reflect on their actions as well as understand their responsibility in the society (Hare 2010, p. 4). On its part, the Summerhill curriculum seeks to help learners grow up and learn in the most natural way (A.S. Neill’s Summerhill 2015). This is different from the highly structured manner characterised by adult intervention that is the norm when the National Curriculum is used. What is important to note is that both sets of curricula take into consideration the holistic needs of the child. In both cases, the overall aim is to help individual children develop their physical, intellectual, cultural, linguistic and social capabilities – which is the essence of holistic development. However, the difference lies in the approach that is used to achieve this aim. Whereas the national curriculum is based on a rigorous plan that is based on the guidance of a tutor, the Summerhill curriculum is learner-centred in that it is highly flexible and is driven by the needs and interests of the child. How the holistic needs of children are taken into consideration in teaching of core subjects using the two curricula The KS2 group is made up of children who are between 7 and 12 years old. The lower KS2 corresponds to the Year 3 and Year 4 groups. Several subjects are taught to children who belong to this group under the two curricula. Maths and English are some of the core subjects that are taught to learners at this stage. There are several objectives for the teaching of Maths to pupils belonging to this group. One of them is to teach children to add and subtract numbers mentally (Department for Education 2013, p. 102). Pupils should be able to carry out these operations for a three-digit number and ones, a three-digit number and tens, and a three-digit number and hundreds (Department for Education 2013, p. 102). At this stage under the Summerhill curriculum, pupils are expected to develop similar skills with regard to adding and subtracting numbers. It is important to note that teaching 7-12 year-old pupils to add and subtract numbers mentally under the National Curriculum is faced with a number of challenges. For instance, Kay (2005, p. 100) observes that some students are not confident to perform addition and subtraction operations mentally and that they may still require physical objects to be present for them to successfully carry out the operations. Also, Watkinson (2014, p. 226) notes that some pupils find it difficult to move from mental to written calculations. The source of these difficulties is identified as the nature of the curriculum that requires learners to master content that is seemingly a lot within a short period of time (Watkinson 2014, p. 226). On the other hand, the nature of the Summerhill curriculum in which pupils are allowed to progress at their own pace can be an effective way of addressing these challenges. This is because under the curriculum, learners are allowed to progress at their own pace. This makes it possible for the learners to fully master the operations without pressure in terms of time and expectations of teachers. However, the use of strategies such as the use of a teaching assistant are identified as some of the most effective ways of helping learners to master the addition and subtraction operations within the National Curriculum. With regard to English, the pupils at the lower KS2 level under the National Curriculum are required to write from memory simple sentences that are dictated to them which contain the words that they have been taught (Department for Education 2013, p. 37). They are also supposed to master the spelling of commonly misspelt words in English that are appropriate for their age (Department for Education 2013, p. 37). This is usually done by use of the dictionary for reference. Some of the most common activities that are used to teach children to spell words at this stage are tongue-twisters and rhyming games (Waugh & Jolliffe 2013, p. 226). The effectiveness of using such games is that a teacher can effectively elicit interest in words in the children. When children are interested in the words that they are learning, they are able to master the spellings quite easily. This, according to Waugh and Jolliffe (2013, p. 222), is a more effective way of teaching spelling at KS2 as opposed to rote and the approach of using word lists. Conclusion The National Curriculum and the Summerhill curriculum provide for the effective teaching of key subject areas such as English and Maths. In general, the broad aims and objectives of the two curricula take into consideration the need for children to develop wholly. The holistic development of children is seen in terms of the spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, moral and linguistic aspects. The content in both curricula is based on the need to help students develop in these aspects. However, the fundamental difference between the two lies in the approach that is used to help students learn. The National Curriculum is based on a rigid approach in which the students are under the direct supervision of the tutor and are subjected to rigorous assessment activities. On the other hand, the Summerhill curriculum is highly flexible and is centred on the needs and interests of learners. Without pressure for progression, learners can learn what interests them and assess their skills at their own speed. It is based on this approach that the Summerhill curriculum can be regarded to provide a slightly better method of teaching the key subjects while taking into consideration the holistic development needs of learners. The time pressure that is usually associated with the learning in the National Curriculum makes it difficult for teachers to effectively cater for the individual needs of the learners, which is an important aspect of holistic development. This, however, is effectively catered for under the Summerhill curriculum. References A.S. Neill’s Summerhill 2015, About Summerhill, viewed 18 November 2015, . Bullock, K & Wikeley, F 2004, Whose learning? The role of the personal tutor, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead, Berkshire. Department for Education 2013, The national curriculum in England: framework document, viewed 10 November 2015, . Department for Education and Employment & Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 1999, The National Curriculum: handbook for primary teachers in England, viewed 11 November 2015, . Ellis, AK 2004, Exemplars of curriculum theory, Eye on Education, Larchmont, New York. Eysenck, MW 2004, Psychology: an international perspective, Taylor & Francis, Hove, Sussex. Hare, J 2010, Holistic education: an interpretation for teachers in the IB programmes, viewed 10 November 2015, . Horn, RA 2002, Understanding educational reform: a reference handbook, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California. Huitt, W 2011, A holistic view of education and schooling: guiding students to develop capacities, acquire virtues, and provide service, viewed 18 November 2015, . Kay, J 2005, Teaching assistant’s handbook: primary edition, A & C Back, New York. Roberts, N 2014, National curriculum review, viewed 10 November 2015, . Vaughan, M 2006, Summerhill and A S Neill, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead, Berkshire. Watkinson, A 2014, The essential guide for experienced teaching assistants: meeting the national occupational standards at level 3, Routledge, London. Waugh, W & Jolliffe, W 2013, English 5-11: a guide for teachers, Routledge, London. Read More