ICT will be replaced with computer programming, so that children from Key Stage 1 upwards are able to learn how to create their own computer programmes.
The new national curriculum framework also places a greater emphasis on vocabulary development and more flexibility for primary schools in the choice of foreign languages they teach.
Primary school children will also be taught about evolution.
However, the new national curriculum only applies to state schools in England and academies and free schools can choose not to follow it.
Education secretary Michael Gove said the curriculum would provide ‘a rigorous basis for teaching, provides a benchmark for all schools to improve their performance, and gives children and parents a better guarantee that every student will acquire the knowledge to succeed in the modern world.’
The Department for Education has published the programmes of study for all subjects, except Key Stage 4, English, mathematics and science and launched a month-long consultation.
A consultation on these will follow in the autumn, after decisions on the GCSE content of these subjects has been made.
Mathematics
Fractions are included in the mathematics curriculum for Key Stage 1. Children will be required to ‘recognise, find and name a half as one of two equal parts of an object, shape or quantity’ and ‘recognise, find and name a quarter as one of four equal parts of an object, shape or quantity.’
English
In English the curriculum says that in Year 1 teachers ‘should build on work from the Early Years Foundation Stage, making sure that pupils can sound and blend unfamiliar printed words quickly and accurately using the phonic knowledge and skills they have already learnt.’
It also says that pupils in Year 1 who have not met the Early learning goals for literacy should continue to follow the EYFS to develop their reading, spelling and language skills but listening to and discussing the books used in Key Stage 1.
The Government intends to finalise the new national curriculum in the autumn, following a short month-long consultation, with schools starting to teach it from September. Some revisions have been made to initial drafts of the curriculum since they were published in February, particularly in history and geography, after strong criticism.
'Not age appropriate'
But the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said the new national curriculum proposals were still too rigid, not age appropriate, and are not being introduced in a coherent, joined-up way.
General secretary Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association for Teachers and Lecturers, said, ’Michael Gove continues to be in too much of a rush and seems to care more about making changes than making sure they are the right ones for children.
‘Much of the curriculum is still not age appropriate – teaching children fractions at age five is problematic if they don’t fully understand whole numbers. Insisting on teaching history in strict chronology means many children will not be old enough to understand some of the more complex issues at the time they are introduced.’
The National Union of Teachers said that the timetable for implementation was ridiculously short and that not enough had been done to design a curriculum for children with special educational needs and for lower attaining children.
Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT, the largest teachers’ union, said, ‘It should be everyone’s goal to develop a national curriculum that enhances learning and attainment unfortunately this has not been achieved by the new framework.
‘This is a curriculum written by Government advisers and officials, not teachers. The price we risk paying is much greater pupil disaffection from learning as children are faced with content that is not age appropriate and does not take into account individual learning styles. Most parents will not endorse less opportunity for teachers to follow the individual learning style of their child, or their child’s particular interests.
‘Several successful international systems are quoted as the inspiration for the new curriculum but only one of these (Massachusetts) has the same school starting age as England. The rest start at six or seven, undermining the argument that more demanding content should be presented to children earlier. In fact, the opposite should be the case. The secretary of state also quotes Finland at a time when Finland is taking a different direction for its curriculum by emphasising critical thinking over factual content, boosting cross curricular themes and reducing content to give more time to learning.’
He added, ‘There is nothing very national about a curriculum that does not have to be taught in academies and free schools. If, as the Prime Minister says, it is essential to raise standards, surely it should be the case that all schools follow it. We need a curriculum that makes learning the vibrant, relevant and exciting experience it should be. Such a curriculum should be mandatory in all schools.’
Voice, the union for education professionals, said the new curriculum was ‘the personal fantasy’ of Michael Gove.
Senior Professional Officer (Education) Ian Toone said, ‘While it seems that some concessions have been made, and that will be welcomed by teachers, many of the concerns of education experts who took part in the consultation have not been taken on board.
‘In that consultation, we raised our concerns about the proposed curriculum being "over-prescriptive" with an "over-reliance on rote learning at the expense of understanding and critical thinking".
‘It seems that the new curriculum will still meet that description. Far from being "rigorous", as Mr Gove claims, it will not be rigorous enough. It presents 19th century methods as the way forward for the challenges of the 21st century. A modern curriculum requires a greater emphasis on concepts, skills and attitudes – not rote learning of "essential knowledge" chosen by politicians.’
