PRIMARY CURRICULUM REPORT

Current Primary Curriculum in UK and the Rose Report 2009

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Current government's stance towards the primary curriculum1

Theories of child development and learning3

Maturationist theory3

Environmentalist theory4

Constructivist theory6

Prevalence of issues7

Lack of spontaneity7

Curriculum enrichment8

Lip-service to social and moral teaching9

Module of the primary curriculum for the 21st century9

Six areas of learning11

Comparison of UK with other countries12

Aims and objectives of curricula12

Content of curricula13

Models of childhood development15

Food hygiene model15

Zoneparc model17

Traffic light nutrition model17

Key concepts for essentials for life and learning19

Literacy19

Numeracy19

ICT capability20

Personal and emotional skills20

Social skills21

Conclusion21

References23

Current Primary Curriculum in UK and the Rose Report 2009

Introduction

For over thirty years, the subject of modernization of the school systems has been debated in the UK. In the recent years, the interest has shifted more towards the assessment and curriculum, particularly in the primary schools (Silcock 1995, p. 149). Primary education in the UK typically starts at the age of five years. At this very small age of the child where he is very keen on learning the focus is on enhancing a child's reading, writing and mathematical skills. The period of primary education for a child is between five to eleven years. However, in Scotland the child completes his primary education at the age of twelve.

Jim Rose reviewed the primary curriculum in the UK in the year 2008 and presented the findings in the form of an interim report. Later, in the year 2009, he published his final report on the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum. In this report, he made certain recommendations which will be implemented soon. Rose suggested a movement from a curriculum that is based on the subject to a new approach that embraces six areas of learning. The National Curriculum was implemented in the UK some 20 years back (The Guardian 2008, p. 1). After this implementation, this is one of the most significant changes in the learning and teaching approach in the UK and will require significant changes.

Current government's stance towards the primary curriculum

When discussing the primary curriculum in the UK, it is essential to lay down what constitutes an appropriate curriculum for the young children first. According to an extract from the review's remit, 'It must provide all pupils with a broad and balanced entitlement to learning which encourages creativity and inspires in them a commitment to learning that will last a lifetime.' (Editorial 2010, p. 3).

Curriculum is something that entails knowledge worthwhile for the development of the childish mind. The purpose of the school's should be to provide children with a learning environment that makes them love the exercise of learning. It should be to instil in them the value that the purpose of education is to learn and be a learner for life (Editorial 2010, p. 3). Hence, in this context, the National Curriculum was supposed to serve as a cultural construct. Though the reviews of the National Curriculum carried out over the years largely criticized the National Curriculum for its rigidity, there are many people who strongly support the continuation of the National ...