Press Release
The following is the full text of an article by CCEA Chief Executive Gavin Boyd, first published in the Belfast Telegraph, Tuesday 2 September 2003.
Towards a more relevant, enjoyable and motivating curriculum
This Autumn sees the latest stage in a process which will lead to significant changes in how our children are taught and how their progress at school is monitored, with enormous benefits for the entire community
While the high profile debate on the transfer procedure has raged on, the body responsible for advising government on what is taught and assessed in our schools, CCEA, has spent the last four years consulting upon and devising a new Northern Ireland curriculum.
CCEA has already presented government with its vision for the future primary school curriculum. These proposals have received broad support from primary school teachers and others with a concern for what is taught in our schools.
In an interview for the Belfast Telegraph, CCEA Chief Executive Gavin Boyd looks forward the next final and vital stage of the consultation process.
"On the 22nd September CCEA will begin a widespread consultation on our proposals for education at ages 11 - 14, the first part of a young person's post-primary education, and the period immediately before the start of GCSE and other courses.
It is a vital stage in a young person's development - so much is going on elsewhere in their lives and our research shows that this is a time when many young people begin to question the relevance of what they are being taught to their present and future lives.
So why should we consider change when Northern Ireland has just achieved excellent GCSE and A level results, out-performing other regions of the UK? Our teachers and schools quite rightly have an excellent reputation, so the question must be asked - if it ain't broke - why fix it?
Our view is that change is both essential and inevitable.
The world which our young people now face is one of rapid change, a world demanding new skills. It will present them with a wide range of challenges as they shape their lives - and that also brings some new challenges to the education system.
In Northern Ireland we are fortunate to be able to build on the widespread good practice in our schools. We also have teachers who are committed to the support and guidance of their pupils.
They tell us that they need to have more flexibility than at present in order to meet these new challenges. The current statutory curriculum is often described as a "strait-jacket." That is why we are preparing to replace it with a much reduced set of legal requirements. These are designed to state clearly the minimum to which every young person is entitled. Schools would be able to use this as a foundation on which to build a curriculum that meets the needs of their own pupils.
The proposals we are launching later this month aim to help prepare our young people for tomorrow's uncertainties, encouraging life-long learning habits, combined with the motivation and flexibility both to welcome and initiate innovation, and the skills and creativity to respond positively to it. In short we want young people to develop the skills and attitudes which will help them succeed in their future lives
Our research clearly shows that young people react most positively when they explore real problems, think through their own responses, make meaningful connections and draw their own conclusions. Being 'taught' solutions or having meaning created for them may work in the short term but employers tell us this produces young people who find it difficult to think for themselves.
Consultation with teachers, employers and the wider community has also highlighted the need for greater priority to be given to areas such as citizenship, employability and personal development - areas not emphasised in the current curriculum, but important to young people's learning for life and work.
We propose that the new curriculum will include:
Learning for Life and Work which will include Education for Employability, Local and Global Citizenship and Personal Development (the latter covers Personal Social and Health Education and Home Economics);
And a series of general learning areas:
The Arts (including Art & Design & Music)
English/Irish - in Irish Medium Schools (including Media Education & Drama)
Environment and Society (including Geography & History)
Modern Languages (including a range of language choices)
Mathematics (including Financial Capability)
Physical Education
Science and Technology
Religious Education (which is specified separately by the Department of Education and the four main Christian Churches)
Within these areas the curriculum will be set out as a series of minimum requirements. We propose that it should be left to schools to decide how best to meet these requirements, while at the same time laying the foundations for later study leading to GCSE and other qualifications.
Creating the space in an already overcrowded curriculum for Learning for Life and Work is a major challenge. Teachers may well be concerned that in doing this other subjects may be devalued.
The key word in all of this is flexibility. The proposals we're unveiling later this month will give schools more scope to manage the timetable in a way that suits them. Indeed, they will be encouraged to look at new approaches to organising their timetable
So that we can better understand the challenges associated with implementing our proposals we are already piloting many of these ideas including citizenship and employability in schools.
We are also aware of the enormous potential impact of technology on teaching, learning and assessment. We believe that our proposals will assist teachers to derive maximum benefit from technology, while making sure that it does not dazzle us to the extent that we lose sight of the needs of young people.
I am already on record as saying that CCEA sees little educational value on the current system of testing 14 year - olds, or Key Stage 3 tests as they are called in schools.
Instead CCEA proposes a well-supported system of teacher assessment. Schools will produce an annual report for each young person which will cover specified requirements. The report will provide comment on the general learning areas; achievement in Learning for Life and Work; progress in the development of personal, interpersonal and thinking skills; and the development of pupils' aptitudes and interests.
Again the key word is flexibility - as long as schools meet the statutory requirements, they can customise their annual reports to meet the needs of their school.
We are seeking support from teachers, parents, employers and the broader community for these proposals. During the week beginning 22 September, summary documents and more detailed proposals will be uploaded on to the CCEA web site - www.ccea.org.uk
Feedback can be given direct via our online questionnaire or by downloading the questionnaire and returning it to us by post or email.
During the autumn term CCEA will be holding a series of seminars with the senior management teams of post -primary schools to allow them to brief and lead discussion on the proposals with their staff.
We will also be holding a series of focus groups representing many aspects of Northern Ireland society. We are holding a special focus group for parents. Parents wishing to take part in this group can find out more by contacting Pamela Larmour at CCEA on (028) 9026 1280.
The implementation of the proposed changes will be carried out in a phased manner over a number of years from September 2005. In advance of this a number of schools will pilot a range of approaches to timetabling and to teaching and learning in citizenship, employability, personal development and new assessment procedures. Best practice from these pilots will be used to inform training in the wider implementation of the new arrangements."
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
