National Curriculum in Primary Education - Essay Example

National Curriculum in Primary Education INTRODUCTION Until 2002 in England, baseline testing was the method followed in early education. It was first introduced by the Government in the mid 1990s, and was defined by Charles Calorie, then under secretary of state for school standards, as being about “teachers assessing strengths and weaknesses when children start school and identifying development” (NLT: Baseline, 2000, par. 4). There were over 90 baseline assessment schemes, but the assessments did not include input from the children themselves, and when the baseline testing came under scrutiny, it was noted that other European countries were ahead of the United Kingdom in the education field. It was evident that a single plan was needed. HISTORY In 2000, it was reported by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NLT: Early Debate, 28.1.00) that English children were falling behind Japanese children because English children started school earlier and didn’t have sufficient development of behavioral and social skills. Teachers found they were spending more time on bad behavior and less time on teaching than did their Japanese equivalents. A study of play-based learning in Nursery School has shown it to be important for preschoolers, and this type of learning might be extended to children up to 6 years old and perhaps even 7 before formal teaching takes over. This thinking was first developed by Rudolph Steiner of Austria, whose Steiner Waldorf approach was instituted in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1919, with many Steiner early years centres presently located throughout the world. The centres focus on three stages - birth to 7 years old, 7 to 14 and 14 to 21. Gareth Lewis, author and advocate of home schooling (2001), lists the following principles as part of the approach: Up to the age of seven encourage play, drawing, story telling, being at home, nature study and natural things. Do not teach children younger than seven to read. Teach a child to write before you teach them to read. Do not keep changing a childs teacher: allow one teacher to carry on teaching the same class for seven years. Allow children to concentrate on one subject at a time - do history two hours per day for several weeks and then do geography for two hours per day etc. Find links between art and science. Engage with the child and make sure that they are enthusiastic about the material being covered. Give a moral lead but do not teach a particular set of beliefs. Encourage learning for its own sake. Do not just work for exams. (par. 19). The Foundation Stage became part of the English National Curriculum in October 2002, and its profile has replaced baseline testing. Updated to the Early Years Foundation Stage in November 2005, it focuses on “the distinct needs of children aged three to the end of the reception year (age 5)” (NLT: Foundation Stage, par. 2). In the U.S. there was a move in 2003 to cut playtime in order to make more time for testing. This view was not shared in the United Kingdom, however, because researchers found that “shortening school breaks undermined children’s social relationships and long-term emotional development” (NLT: elgoals: Primary Play Cut for Testing, par. 2). Controversy surrounding this issue continued through 2004 and a report by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in 2004 found goals in reading, writing and linking sounds to letters too high. The concerns included increasing pressure from parents to teach three-year-olds rather than letting them learn through play. Leslie Staggs, director of the foundation stage for the Primary National Strategy, is expected in spring 2006 to publish the results of an informal consultation based on various issues under debate (NLT: earlydebate: Early Goals Out of Reach). Since the inception of the Foundation Stage in 2002, the results are not clear cut and the definition of “readiness for school” debatable. Some believe there is a need for fewer goals and more activity in the play area; others, according to an article by Ann-Marie McAuliffe (2005), feel that “children should be able to use pencils and sit still” (NLT: earlydebate: Ready for School? par. 4). RECOMMENDATIONS The conclusion to be drawn from the various studies and reports published since the Foundation Stage was activated in 2002 is that adjustments in expectations for children between the ages of birth to 7 years old must be made. In order for children to meet or pass the accomplishments of children in European countries, children should follow a more relaxed curriculum, with encouragement in the arts and music, as well as individual problem solving in an effort to increase self esteem. By waiting until children have reached what has been called by psychiatrists “the age of reason,” in other words, age 7, it has been shown that they will be more enthusiastic about learning, feel better about themselves, and the entire education system will benefit. So far, the recommendation is that children should not start school until at least the age of five, but is that going to be enough? Educator Gail Bedford (2004) brings up one point that bears examining when she says, “By changing the Year 1 experience are we deflecting the problems we have experienced in Year 1 into Year 2?” (NLT: earlydebate: Group Identifies Issues for Transition from Reception to Year 1, par. 2-5). She further urges the abolishment of SATs at KS1. They create far too much pressure for teachers and children, especially if children have to wait until age 5 before entering school. Nansi Ellis, primary education adviser, said: The hope for the foundation stage was that this early years curriculum would challenge thinking further up the school. Instead we have carried on with the whole top-down approach where what happens at the top of the school puts pressure on what is being taught further down (NLT: earlydebate: Foundation Stage Too Formal, par. 4). This type of pressure has put far too much emphasis on expectations for the early curriculum in four- and five-year-olds. In England, children are required to enter school in the term after their fifth birthday but in practice do so a year earlier. They are not getting the education techniques that three- and four-year olds get. Instead of using these techniques that will challenge thinking further up the education scale, the four- and five-year-olds are expected to prioritize achievements such as learning routines they are not quite ready to accept. Only by adopting for the four-and five-year-olds the same education techniques that have been enjoyed by three- and four-year-olds and adding to it an abbreviated curriculum of formal learning can this age group easily make the transition into the next level of education. Otherwise, the four- and five-year-olds will be faced with too abrupt a change in expectations, and the obstacles now faced by three- and four-year-olds moving to the next age group will just be moved up a level. A more gradual transition from recreational to formal learning could keep alive a student’s enthusiasm about learning. Replacing national tests and performance targets with teachers’ observations and children’s self-evaluation and social skills until the children are mature enough to take on a more formal curriculum might allow English children to match the accomplishments of students in Finland and Denmark. These students start their formal education two years later than in England. Although English children are better in reading, writing and arithmetic earlier than pupils in Finland and Denmark, by age 15, according to an international survey, conducted by the Office for Standards in Education (22 July 2003) comparing these three nations, Finnish children outperformed all others in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. It was Ofsted’s conclusion that “in considering what is appropriate for six year olds in England, the background to current educational policy needs to be recalled” (p. 2). In 2000 the Early Years Curriculum Group made suggestions on areas to be addressed for a successful implementation of the Foundation Stage, presently the Early Years Foundation Stage. Literacy and mathematical improvement through creativity and physical development should not be underestimated. 1. Childrens personal, social and emotional development should remain a priority. 2. Early years education should be from 0-7 years. 3. The Foundation Stage should be extended to incorporate Year 1. Below are excerpts of some of the issues addressed by the Early Years Curriculum Group (2000) that continue to be relevant in 2006: The current emphasis on literacy and numeracy is having a negative effect on some young childrens earliest experiences, particularly in the maintained sector and most particularly in childrens reception year. (par. 1.2) There is substantial evidence from research in this country, and from overseas, that a later start to more formal aspects of language and literacy learning will lead to quicker gains in competence in reading and writing, and actually to higher standards at age nine or 10. (1.5) Representation of childrens experiences through drawing, modelling, painting, dancing and making music are all powerful ways of developing language and expressing ideas. (1.6) Children have a far more sedentary life-style than their predecessors. Physical education is being squeezed by the emphasis on the literacy and numeracy hours. High quality nursery education offers opportunities for children to be active daily as part of the on-going educational experiences children need both indoors and out. This opportunity is severely restricted in reception classes where children often only have access to a shared playground with older children and to the hall with space and apparatus frequently being inappropriate for the youngest children. (1.10) It is the task of adults to create a learning environment which gives children the security to be wrong—and to see this as a natural part of the learning process. (2.3) FUTURE INNOVATIONS One factor that has become more important than ever in early learning is the encouragement of play. It is a critical factor in a child’s development and there is no better way to engage the interest of a child than with the computer. Technology is very much a part of teenage education, but technology for younger children offers numerous areas in which children can be entertained while learning. It gives them an opportunity to use their imagination to gain firsthand experience without pressure. They can work at their own pace. It also gives them a feeling of self-worth and accomplishment, mainly because they must find their own way through a problem from the beginning to end. In fact, the children may have more knowledge in this area than do their teachers. The world is in a transitional stage concerning technology, with one part of society learning how to use computers as adults, the other taking for granted the use of computers because they have never known a time when computers didn’t exist. What better opportunity for a child to gain self-confidence than to find it necessary to instruct the teacher, rather than the other way around. According to Kay Stables (1997) addressing the needs of the teacher becomes a priority for primary teachers, few of whom have received formal training in technology education. She sets forth key areas to be addressed in helping teachers move forward: 1. Developing teachers understanding of what technology education is; 2. Helping them see how the work they currently do, and the experience they already have, can be adapted to allow technology activities to grow from the work already undertaken with the children; 3. Developing their confidence in their ability to build on and utilize their previous experience; 4. Identifying a broad but manageable range of activities for teachers to start from, and providing them with personal, hands on experience with the activities before they embark on them with children; 5. Providing opportunities (through dialogue and printed materials) for teachers to share good ideas and good practice and build a repertoire of successful activities. (Addressing the Needs of the Teacher, sec. 4) These suggestions continue to hold up, and in this new century, such knowledge is even more important. Children learn quickly and teachers need to be proficient in media and technology in the area being taught. The tools for technology are books, films, television and the Internet. Media includes the means of communication to use the tools--print, graphics, animation, audio and motion pictures. According to Prof. Thomas C. Reeves (1998) “computers as tutors have positive effects on learning” (par. 7). This conclusion is confirmed by the Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools 2004/05 on primary Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Over half the schools surveyed in 2005 showed considerable improvement in primary ICT. Increased funding has provided schools with the facilities to offer ICT learning to large groups. Students are more apt to have computer time with additional equipment available, and teachers have more opportunities for ICT training. The use of word processors is now commonplace and teachers are more familiar with common applications. The last report on primary education (1999) noted that “for many teachers with little access to ICT at home, the rapid pace of technological change has presented challenges that it was not easy to meet” (Primary Education: A Review of Primary Schools in England, 1994-1998). As teachers become more proficient in using ICT, however, students are not applying their ICT capabilities for learning across the curriculum and in the level of imaginative use of programs. Considering the extent of improvement in ICT use in the past five years, once teachers are comfortable with using new technology, they can then encourage their students to experiment with the technology. The findings in the 2005 report as they relate to this paper are as follows: ICT provides good opportunities for independent and collaborative work, and this is reflected well in pupils’ work in the large majority of schools. The quality of pupils’ work in class is rarely reflected in their folders of completed work and insufficient attention is paid to this. Almost all teachers are now confident to teach the National Curriculum in ICT, but many still find difficulties in helping pupils to apply what they have learned in other subjects. (Main Findings, par. 2). Even as technology takes over education and changes the concept of learning, the problems that arise are different from anything faced in the past. For instance, according to a survey conducted at a conference in Wales (2003), the problem of bullying in the schools has extended to children’s home computers, with text messages and e-mails from their tormentors showing up when they log in at home. Also, according to research from the Cyberspace Research Unit at the University of Central Lancashire (2003), more than a third of primary school children aged between 7- and 11-years-old who have their own mobile phone have received name-calling text messages. Some of these threats appear to be serious, but children are not apt to tell teachers or parents. The use of technology by bullies extends to producing insulting Internet pages, notes Charlotte Barrow, project manager of the research centre, and she further suggests considering how developing technologies might be misused by bullies. A positive outcome of the technology revolution, however, is the way in which teachers can create and have created exciting, imaginative web sites for the youngest children, offering them games, musical composition, artistic endeavors, and encouraging them to use their own imagination to move up the technology ladder. It’s easy to look to technological advances as a method of meeting the needs of the younger children, but the transition from Foundation Stage to Year 1 calls for more than that. The first step is to look not at what have they learned but what they already know. The next step is to set up activities that will allow the children to incorporate what they know into their play. One area of debate is whether children under six can benefit from electronic media. Parents interviewed in a Sheffield University study (2005) believe the media can have a positive impact, even though there are other studies that don’t agree. The study, led by Dr Jackie Marsh, said children were "growing up in a digital world", immersed in new technologies from the day they were born. The parents felt media education should be included in the school curriculum from a very young age and that schools should be doing more in this regard. Staff in the early years centres visited for the study were in overall agreement but did have concerns about how much time children spent involved in these activities. Dr Marsh said: "Children are immersed in popular culture, technology and the media from a very early age, and the study suggests that this influence can be a positive factor in development and learning.” (‘Positive Factor,’ par. 3). The debate on child-centered principles and use of play within primary education goes on, but the need to encourage more play activities and pay more attention to how the children can offer input into their learning is a priority. References Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools 2004-05 (2005). [online], Retrieved 1-4-2006, from http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/annualreport0405. BBC News (18 March 2003). “Experts debate text bullying,” retrieved 1-6-2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/2861445.stm. BBC News (7 April 2003). “Texting insults at primary school,” retrieved 1-6-2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/education/2925663.stm. BBC News (3 November 2005). “New media ‘help toddlers learn’,” retrieved 1-6-2005, From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4403224.stm. Fisher, Julie, Chair. (2000) “Memorandum from the Early Years Curriculum Group (EY 48), The United Kingdom Parliament, retrieved 1-4-2006, from: http://www.parliament.the-stationery- office.co.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmeduemp/386/0040403.htm. Grabinger, R.S. (1996). Table 3. Old versus new assumptions about learning [online]. In D.H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology (pp. 665-692). New York: Macmillan. http://www.athensacademy.org/instruct/media_tech/reeves0.html. Lewis, Gareth. “Rudolph Steiner: A Definition of Steiner Education,” retrieved 1-3-2006, from http://www.freedom-in-education.co.uk/Steiner.htm, par. 19. National Literacy Trust: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/baseline.html; http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/earlydebate.html; http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/elgoals.html. Office for Standards in Education (22 July 2003), “Ofsted presents findings from three- nation survey to prompt debate on early schooling, retrieved 1-3-2006, from: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/pressreleases/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.details&id=1473. Reeves, Thomas C. (1998). “The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools” [online], Retrieved 1-2-2006, from: http://www.athensacademy.org/instruct/media_tech/reeves0.html. Stables, Kay. (1997). “Critical Issues to Consider When Introducing Technology Education into the Curriculum of Young Learners.” Journal of Technical Education. Retrieved 1-1-2006, from: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v8n2/stables.jte-v8n2.html. Whitehead, Marian. (1999) Supporting Language and Literacy Development in the Early Years, Open University Press, UK: Berkshire. 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