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This strand features any ideas or issues that catch our attention but which are not related to any particular subject.
Mike Baker, writing in The Education Guardian, discusses the government's 14-19 education reforms. As he argues, introducing the new system of Diplomas in four or more phases presents considerable political and practical obstacles. Can such a complex system be made to work? Will the new qualifications involve high quality content and better experiences for learners?
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www.nuffield14-19review.org.uk
During the last few decades, education policy in England has increasingly emphasised economic competitiveness and the need for a skilled workforce. At the same time, it generally fails to address the diverse nature of English society. Schools have been driven by a target-setting agenda that focuses narrowly on measurable outcomes.
So pervasive is this new outlook that we are in danger of losing sight of broader education aims and values, and the ethical issues that come with them. Whom and what is education for?
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The STEM advisory Forum meeting at the DCSF on 24th January gave those interested in STEM (Science – Technology – Engineering – Mathematics) education the chance to hear about the developments in this increasingly important area.
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Jenny Wales presents a paper at the International Association for Citizenship, Social and Economic Education conference in Tartu, Estonia.
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For the past 17 years subjects have been the "brick" from which the curriculum wall has been constructed, Pink Floyd notwithstanding.
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QCA has a responsibility is to keep the curriculum under review and, for many years, has produced annual reports on what was happening in schools. It is now considering a move to a more interactive approach, one that produces instant data tables from online questionnaires which anyone can access.
To my mind, this is not a good idea. See some draft pages here QCA Science questionnaire, then tell QCA what you think.
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Today QCA formally announced the Secondary Curriculum Review and invited consultation. This is seriously important. It is a chance to redress the disempowerment of teachers that has taken place since the introduction of the National Curriculum. It offers the opportunity for teachers in collaboration with learners to reclaim the curriculum.
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The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has launched a consultation on the ethical dilemmas related to public health, such as the difficulties in balancing individual choice and community benefit.
This consultation may be of particular interest to citizenship teachers as it is interested in the views of young people so please encourage your students to have their say.
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QCA has been asked by the DfES to revise the criteria for all advanced GCE subjects. The main motive is to cut down the amount of assessment. However as well as changing the number of assessment units, QCA is making many other changes.
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www.assessment-reform-group.org
Ruth Kelly seems set on cutting down on Coursework, so it is timely to have a new pamphlet about the role of teachers in the assessment of learning.
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Last Updated Tue, 5 January 2010