This is the 8th in our series of posts about the review of the national curriculum – the Francis Review. All previous posts can be found here. As ever with NAEE blogs, the views expressed are not necessarily those of the Association.
Here we go again – thankfully !? Another Curriculum Review. It’s pretty typical for a change of government to result in the kicking of the political football that is ‘education’ to show they are different from the last lot, but I think the idea that the curriculum is ripe for review will be largely if not universally welcomed.
My Career has spanned the history of the National Curriculum to date. I qualified in 1988, the year of the Education Reform Act – an ERA defining moment under the Thatcher government – that resulted in a legislated National Curriculum. I had nearly two relatively autonomous years before the implementation of the original National Curriculum, but also to get prepared for what turned out to be only the first iteration of many. And what a version it was with two noticeable characteristics: its voluminous nature and its political orientation. Commentators characterised it as following a New Right or Thatcherite agenda, and Teachers as having an unworkable doorstop of content. At least Thatcher acknowledged climate change, but the ideological bias favoured traditional subjects over ‘adjectival educations’ such as environmental education. After a couple of reviews and adaptations that slimmed down the content, it acquired a change in ideological orientation – from New Right to New Labour – which changed the National Curriculum significantly. NC2000 reflected a so-called new agenda which integrated citizenship, PHSE and at last sustainability (or sustainable development) as a stated goal: “securing [learners’] commitment to sustainable development …”. Further attention via doorways, a complementary support for the learning outside the classroom manifesto, and more emphasis on inquiry-based approaches were all positive shifts providing a more conducive context for environmental education practitioners.
However, the game shifted back to the other side from 2010 when Michael Gove and austerity put pay to most of these developments – in England at least. All mention of sustainability was excised as indoctrinatory, and value free (not possible) disciplinary content was back.
I now hope – along I’m sure with most in NAEE that we have reached a moment for a much needed pendulum swing back to allow greater emphasis on sustainability, inquiry-based learning, learning outside the classroom, and greater scope for teacher autonomy to make their practice place-responsive. The Letter asking Becky Francis to undertake the review isn’t overt about such things, which is perhaps to be expected, as too much direction goes against the spirit of an independent review. However, objectives and priorities are clearly spelled out which arguably sustain aspects of the prevailing performativity and economistic agendas, and a traditional subject-focus. I actually endorse the need to take an evolutionary not a revolutionary approach for the sake of the beleaguered teaching profession that doesn’t need further massive disruption. But what kind of evolution is crucial. I am hopeful that the Review Group’s instruction to engage with a broad range of appropriate stakeholders will ensure a positive trajectory. Young people are crying out for a shift towards a more relevant and sustainability-oriented curriculum as revealed by the amazing work of Teach the Future and Students Organising for Sustainability. And teaching professionals and experts should champion such much needed aspects of good education on pedagogical grounds. I wait with bated breath.
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Alun Morgan is Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Plymouth where he leads courses on Environmental and Sustainability Education, Global Education and Outdoor Learning. He works across educational phases (primary through to Higher Education) and formal-informal learning sectors, and promotes intergenerational, lifelong and community-based learning. Alan can be contacted at alun.morgan@plymouth.ac.uk