Friday, June 26, 2009
The Nuffield Independent review of the 14-19 curriculum in England and Wales has been published.
The Nuffield review has taken six years to complete and holds different conclusions for England and Wales.
"Education for All: The Future of Education and Training for 14-19 year olds", published June 2009, is the final report of the review, funded by the Nuffield Foundation to provide an independent analysis of all aspects of 14-19 education and training including:,
*Aims of the curriculum
*Quality of learning
*Assessment
*Qualifications
*Progression to employment, training and higher education
*Governance and Policy
The review draws evidence from all these areas together to answer its key focus question: What counts as an educated 19 year old in this day and age?
The review concludes that "The English government's vision of learning is too narrow - a broader one must recognise the importance of practical capability, active learning, social development and moral commitment, not just academic success or skills for employment. "
The report identifies the emphasis placed on skills and competencies in the most recent developments but argues there is currently a gap between this vision and the reality of the kind of learning which is prioritised in schools and by the current assessment system.
The review concludes that recognising all learners will have to become rounded, resilient, creative and social, if they are to help shape an increasingly unpredictable and demanding world is essential to education systems in the 21st century.
This vision needs to be embedded in all aspect of the education system, so schools need to make sure essential capabilities and skills are translated into the learning experience and the training of teachers. These skills also need to be part of the key indicators for success for schools and colleges, part of the national qualifications system and into further and higher education opportunities. The review goes on to argue that the view of teaching and learning impacts on the use of the assessment and that a broader vision of learning creates a broader vision of assessment. "This narrow vision of learning with its targets and inspection criteria focuses on what is easily measurable and encourages teaching to the test.Future assessment must recognise the totality of achievement. "
The report argues that future English provision needs to provide a unified and flexible system which recognises all types of learning, varying levels of achievement and different learning styles including active, practical and experiential learning.
The report concludes that the Welsh curriculum and recent innovations are closer to delivering this broader vision through the Learning Pathways which it describes as " a broader and more flexible vision of progression."
The Nuffield Review supports the Welsh government position to make the Welsh Baccalaureate the organising framework for all 14-19 learners in Wales.
The recommendation to England is to look and learn from Wales. "England should develop a unified and inclusive qualifications framework that embraces different forms of learning and promotes more effective choice and greater breadth of study. The current system fails to reflect the totality of learning and achievement, and focuses on that which is more easily measureable.
The Nuffield Review Executive Summary can be read here.