National Curriculum

There would seem to be a danger that the National Curriculum, which at its best gives all children access to a broad and balanced curriculum is, in some cases, having the opposite effect in that broad and balanced is determined in relation to the ordinary child and may be inappropriate and restrictive to the extra-ordinary child. Yet there seems to be a widespread reluctance to disapply , as though this is depriving children of their so-called entitlement . 

This comment summarises one of the findings of an NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research) study of link schemes between special and mainstream schools which concluded that some such schemes were being squeezed out by the pressures of the National Curriculum - by crowded timetables and the need for good results. This was particularly so in secondary schools. 

Apart from the difficulties of the final assessment, there was a feeling amongst those in the survey that parts of the course were inappropriate to student needs and too demanding  

Although there might be units or modules that were achievable (for example, Science modules on Materials, practical coursework in Drama, or fieldwork in Geography) there would be others which would not be (for example, Science modules on a more abstract topic such as Electricity, or written coursework in Drama or Geography.) 

Phy sical proximity carries with it, then, the possibihty of making things worse rather than better. The success of inclusion (as distinct from integration) depends crucially on how teaching is organised and how interaction among pupils is structured and helped. 

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A teacher/tutor is someone who engages a group of people or individuals in learning according to the guidelines of an external party. Thus, the learning topics are usually tied to a national curriculum and the teacher/tutor s role is to impose its contents upon the leamer(s). Specifically, his/her role includes ... 

Learning the contents of a national curriculum objectives set by external agency and teacher/ tutor... 

Astrid M.W. Bulte is a researcher in science edncation, being since 1999 connected to the Freudenthal Institnte for Science and Mathematics Education at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. In her current position she focuses her research on the development and evaluation of authentic practice-based science units for secondary education. She contributes to the education of student - science teachers, teaching students how to communicate science issues. She takes a leading position in national curriculum developments. After she obtained her Master degree in Chemical Engineering Science in 1989, she completed her doctoral thesis in 1994 in the same subject at the same university. From 1994 till 1999, she was a teacher of physics and chemistry in secondary education. 

The Third Edition includes more foundation work un formulae, the mole, calculations based on chemical equations and volumetric analysis for students starting A/AS Work from National Curriculum GCSE Science Double Award. 

It is worthwhile, in this context, to look at the procedure usually followed to modernise a science curriculum in the Netherlands and in many other countries with a national curriculum (Boersma, 2000 Fensham, 1998 Osborne, 2000 Roberts, 1995). This procedure can be characterised as a consensus oriented approach that is aimed at modernisation through a stepwise procedure, deleting some topics and adding others, until consensus is reached that sufficient modernisation has taken place. Because a more fundamental approach, aimed to solve the increasing underlying problems, is never attempted, this procedure inevitably leads to the preservation of a tradition (Osborne, 2000). 

Department for Education and Employment (1999). Science in the National Curriculum. London HMSO. 

Holman, J. (1997). The National Curriculum a golden opportunity for scientific literacy In W. Graber (ed). Scientific Literacy. Kiel IPN. 

Teachers also have responsibility to deliver the National Curriculum Orders and this involves providing an entitlement curriculum for all pupils (DFE, 1995). The Education Act 1993 imposes important responsibilities on the governing bodies of all maintained schools towards children with special educational needs (SEN). This Act requires the Secretary of State to issue, and revise, a Code of Practice giving practical advice on such responsibilities and the governing body must have due regard to this code when carrying out its duties towards all pupils with special educational needs. Failure to do so could lead to negligence in the provision of education. 

The Curriculum Policy statement provided by the county, and health and safety statement provided by the school, both indicate an awareness of the need for safe practice in physical education. These documents reflect standard practices adopted by many other counties in England. These policies reflect National Curriculum Orders and the safe practice guidance provided by BAALPE. 

DfEE (1995) National Curriculum for Physical Education, London HMSO. 

National curriculum science orders and initial teacher training... 

As previously mentioned, to meet Health and Safety requirements class teachers must understand and apply the principles of risk assessment and follow regular and approved practice. If pupils are to become responsible, safety conscious adults, they too need to learn how to assess and control risks. This is an essential requirement of the National Curriculum Science Orders (DFE, 1995) that require teachers to promote in pupils a sense of personal responsibility for health and safety in the context of science (see Figure 7.1). Furthermore, changes to teacher training courses (DFE Circular, 14/93) mean that schools now assume greater responsibility for the training of prospective teachers and therefore need to ensure that... 

The introduction to the Key Stage I and 2 programmes of study (often referred to as ScO) in the current version of Science in the National Curriculum (Department for Education, 1995) includes statements under the heading Health and Safety which apply across the whole of the science curriculum. 

Within the last decade educational initiatives such as the National Curriculum have, in part, been instrumental in widening the boundaries of the classroom, the concept of educational knowledge and how this is transmitted. Many young people are now involved in a wider range of curriculum activities and the setting in which learning takes place has also diversified. 

Health for Life 2—K teacher s guide on three topics drugs, keeping safe and relationships. The activities suggested conform to national curriculum requirements... 

Figure 7.1 References to safety in science in the National Curriculum 106 (1995)...

Donnelly, J. (2001). Contested terrain or unified project The nature of science in the National Curriculum for England and Wales. International Journal of Science Education, 23, 181-195. 

QCA. (n.d.) Summary of the key findings from the 2001-2002 National Curriculum (NC) and Post-16 Science Monitoring Exercise. 

Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development [MEHRD]. (1992). The 6th Korea national curriculum standards in 1992. Seoul MEHRD. 

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