Changes to the National Curriculum

Changes to the National Curriculum Since the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1992, a number of changes have been made to its structure and implementation. Identify and explain these changes and assess the contribution of the National Curriculum in the effort to raise standards in Education. This essay will describe, identify and explain the changes that have occurred to the National Curriculum (NC) since its conception in 1992. It will also assess these changes and evaluate the benefits and difficulties that it has experienced since 1992. The Education Reform Act (ERA) came into effect in 1988, this enabled Kenneth Baker the Conservative Minister of Education to implement the roll-out of the National Curriculum in 1992 within primary / secondary education. However, prior to 1992 there had been no National Curriculum and previously teachers had worked out their own schemes of work that they deemed appropriate for their pupils. As a result of this the standard of education across the country varied considerably and the methods employed to teach were wide-ranging. With the implementation of the National Curriculum in 1992, responsibility was shifted away from teachers to centralised government over what was to be taught. The National Curriculum established a set-framework of learning to enable children to move freely between schools as they would be learning from the same framework. The National Curriculum ensured that schools taught a certain range of subjects, this consisted of ten subjects. The subjects were divided into two sub-categories (core and foundation). The three main core subjects were English, Maths and Science, and together with seven other foundation subjects (Art, Home Economics. Music, History, a Modern Foreign Language (only compulsory in secondary schools), Geography and Physical Education created the foundation of the National Curriculum. Compulsory National tests (SATS) were introduced at 7, 11 and 14 on core subjects. The results are published annually in league tables (along with GCSE/A levels and truancy statistics). Changes occurred to the National Curriculum from its inception. Rather than being embraced the National Curriculum was met with hostility from some teachers and most of the larger teachers unions. One of the main criticisms of the National Curriculum by teachers and teaching unions was that at first glance that it contained far too many subjects and was considered to be too rigid, compared to what was previously taught. This meant that it was difficult to teach the subject well as the students had to learn so many subjects, and they presumed that it would be very difficult for students. The National Curriculum was also criticized for being extremely Eurocentric, as it was primarily focused around European culture, giving those from ethnic backgrounds very little opportunity to learn about their roots. Certain sections of the public also argued that the government intentionally fashioned the National Curriculum to remove subjects which they as a political party are against for political reasons, such as sociology, politics, and environmental sciences (they were never contained in the National Curriculum). However, a benefit to the National Curriculum was that teachers now had to educate students in a range of subjects. This gave children / students a better start for the skills they would need for later in life. It was also disputed that the national Curriculum helped to reduce the division of girls and boys subjects, as both sexes were taught the same subjects. This helped to reduce the stereotyping of gender. In 1993, teachers decided to boycott the national curriculum testing arrangements (SATS) after complaining about the workload. The Secretary of State for Education, in a move in the right direction asked Sir Ron Dearing, who was the current Chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment AuthorityHYPERLINK http://www.bookrags.com/tandf/school-curriculum-and-assessment-tf#p2000a9f68830215001 (SCAA), to review the national curriculum. Dearing made an Interim Report in 1993 and a Final Report in 1994 (The Dearing Report) after a period of consultation with teachers and the teachers unions. In his report his recommended on slimming down the curriculum, and improving its administration. He also recommended that the slimmed down national curriculum should not be altered for five years and that national tests should be simplified without sacrificing validity or reliability. The revised curriculum was implemented from August 1995. The 1992, Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education) formed as part of the major overhaul and centralisation of the school system begun by the Education Reform Act 1988, which introduced the National Curriculum, extensive testing in schools and the publication of league tables. Ofsted inspections were carried out on school every 6 years. This change was introduced as it was believed standards needed to be raised in schools. Many people thought Ofsted inspections were a good idea, if schools were failing, it was noticed and measures were put in place in order to improve these schools. However, Ofsted were also often seen to be too strict on schools, making it difficult for schools to pass inspection highly. Also, it was felt that many teachers and schools would improve their teaching standards while they were being inspected. Some schools would also send some of their worst behaved students on school trips for the inspections. This defeated the object of Ofsted inspections as it wasnt the normal teaching standards that were being tested. Recent inspections by Ofsted have revealed that although a good proportion of schools had improved since they were last checked many were stilling failing. Figures released by Ofsted in 2009 show that 11% of schools checked since last September were rated outstanding, while 9% were not up to scratch. [Angela Harrison, BBC] In the year 2006-07, 14% of those checked were outstanding and 6% were inadequate. [Angela Harrison, BBC] In 1997, the incoming The New Labour Government came into power in the UK. They Introduced the National Literacy Strategy to all Primary Schools in England from September 1998 after setting targets for pupils at Key Stage 2 in English (80%), Mathematics (75), but not in Science. Previously a pilot project had been tested during 1996, which involved schools in 14 Local Education Authorities. The strategy was planned for teachers to teach a daily Literacy Hour, which followed a pattern of 30 minutes whole class teaching, then group work and concluding with a plenary session. A number of documents have been published by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) to help teachers raise standards in literacy at the time. The National Literacy Strategy framework endeavoured to improve standards for all primary aged pupils. The strategys purpose was to make sure that all pupils were receiving on a daily basis dedicated one hour of literacy. The end result would give pupils the opportunity to develop skills in reading, grammar, spelling, and oral work and help raise standards in teaching and learning. In the following year of September 1999 The National Numeracy Strategy framework was introduced and like the literacy strategy, aimed at raising standards for all primary pupils. Similar to the National Literacy Strategy it prescribed a one hour daily mathematics lesson for all pupils. The Five Year Review in 2000 set out the main aims and purposes of the National Curriculum for the first time. The four main purposes of the National Curriculum are: To establish an entitlement. To establish standards. To promote continuity and coherence. To promote public understanding. The National Curriculum has been put into place in the hope that children will achieve and will have an entitlement to learning irrespective of their background, be it race, gender, cultural or otherwise. It also makes expectations for childrens attainment explicit for all concerned and sets out national standards for performance. These standards can then be used for target setting, measuring progress and monitoring progression. The Foundation Stage was introduced by the Labour government in 2000, to provide guidance for settings which provide care and education to pre-school children (aged 3 to 5). It was named the Foundation Stage because it lays the foundations for childrens later learning. [Neaum and Tallack, 2002]. It evolved from the Rumbold Report of 1990, which investigated the educational provision for the under 5s, and found that there was a patchy, unplanned curriculum which was unsatisfactory. In 2004 a review was carried out of Key Stage 4, from this review the introduction of Entitlement subjects. The Curriculum Entitlement Framework provides pupils with access to a wider range of learning opportunities suited to their needs, aptitudes and interests, irrespective of where they live or the school they attend. In 2007 the government abolished formal written Key Stage 1 SATS and replaced them with teacher recorded assessments. The Key Stage 1 assessments are very low key and completed by the pupils teacher over a period of a few weeks so they will be hardly aware that an assessment is taking place. In 2008 a review of Secondary National Curriculum resulted in new Key Stage 3 and 4 Curriculum which was introduced in 2009. This updated part of the curriculum now offers Diplomas and other alternatives to current GCSE and A-level examinations. In 2009 the then current Labour government announces that Key Stage 3 Sats examinations are to be abolished and that Sir Jim Rose will be conducting a full review of the Primary National Curriculum. The findings of the report will be implemented from September 2011. In May 2010 a general election was held and New Conservative / Liberal Democrat government came to power under David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The future changes to the new primary national curriculum which were put forward by Sir Jim Rose to be implemented from September 2011 have been shelved, the government stating that it does not intend to proceed with the new primary curriculum. Instead they are committed to giving schools more freedom from unnecessary prescription and bureaucracy. They have always made clear their intention to make changes to the National Curriculum that will ensure a relentless focus on the basics and give teachers more flexibility than the proposed new primary curriculum offered. The National Curriculum has undergone considerable change and development over the past twenty years and is still being altered and adjusted at the present day. Controversy still exists as to the approach education should adopt for those over the age of 14 testing is thought to be heavily based on recall of knowledge encouraging a lack of skill development activities. Many of the original subjects that were mandatory no longer are, as it was felt the curriculum was too full. In my opinion, since the introduction of the National Curriculum, I believe that it was the keystone to greatly improving the standards of education that children receive in todays society. This is because before the standard of education students received was highly based on class status and was typically biased towards the middle / upper class families, another factor was your locality in the country. Teachers also taught a range of subjects that they wished to teach as there were no set subjects so what you could be taught varied across the country. This led to many students leaving school with limited knowledge. With the introduction of the Literacy and Numeracy hours Sats results have increased again of the subsequent years but again now have slowed to a halt. As seen in the table below. But on the flip side having felt that on the whole the National Curriculum is effective it is also somewhat flawed. Children are taught to the test at a detriment to other subjects, and so they are missing out on a broad and balanced curriculum. Schools and teaching staff will also admit that they are being forced to teach to the test; cutting out subjects such as history, geography and art to inflate their position on national league tables or else look as if they are failing. The national tests also distort childrens education as they are being offered a restricted timetable as teachers are forced to focus on the core subjects. In a number of schools an emphasis on tests in English, Mathematics and Science limits the range of work in these subjects in particular year groups, as well as more broadly across the curriculum in some primary schools. Having said this, the positive points outweighed the negative greatly as it was the start towards the National Curriculum that we currently have today.

European Motivations for Exploring and Conquering the New World Essay

Suez Canal in Egypt was recently completed in 1870s when Britain purchased approximately half share. Suez Canal was considered as a highly important route through which trade had become possible to India. So Britain got hold over Suez Canal to limit the trade to and from India. Then the European Empire had expanded to other regions as well such as Africa, the Persian Gulf and in the Middle Eastern countries. Europeans were expanding their Empire to bring about the â€Å"New Imperialism† during which colonization was in accelerating phase. This process was encouraged by the Berlin Conference of 1884, which in effect provided a charter for the division of Africa into ‘spheres of influence’. European Motivations There were various motives behind European zealous participation in the New Imperialism. Firstly, there were intensified rivalries with other powers, as states such as the newly-unified Italy and Germany, along with France, which sought to compensate for its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, looked to the non-European world for expansion An expansionist Russia posed a particular threat in the decaying Turkish (Ottoman) Empire in the Middle East. British policy-makers wanted to secure further gains before their rivals did, in case they lost out in the international ‘balance of power’. Secondly, there were economic motives, notably the desire to capture new markets and sources of raw materials, preserve or expand trade links and to prevent the loss of existing overseas markets to other countries, Countries such as Nigeria, for example, offered valuable resources such as palm oil, which was used as a lubricant for industrial machinery. Thirdly, there was a growth of imperial nationalism, militarism and a sense of racial superiority (‘jingoism’) throughout British society. This jingoistic sentiment may have been as much an effect as a cause of British expansionism, but in combination with the other factors it helped to push Britain further along the colonial path In relation to Africa, for example, between 1885 and 1914 Britain took control of nearly 30 per cent of the continent’s population, compared to 15 per cent for France and nine for Germany The formalization of British rule in Africa included Somaliland (1884), Bechuanaland (1885), East Africa (1887), Rhodesia (1888), The Gambia (1888), Nyasaland (1889), Swaziland (1890), Uganda (1894), the Sudan (1898) and Nigeria (1900). Expansion before 1914 largely ended with the Second Boer War against the Afrikaner republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal in 1899-1902 Britain’s underlying reason for starting this war was the discovery of gold and diamonds in the region Although Britain annexed the two Boer Republics in 1902 and established the Union of South Africa in 1910, the conflict had strained British military capabilities and imperial resolve. In any case, Africa and elsewhere now offered fewer opportunities for expansion. British statesmen also found themselves more and more embroiled in the power politics of the European continent. Although the First World War was primarily a European conflict, about 2. 5 million colonials fought for Britain and there was intensified exploitation of the Empire’s material resources. Strain and Unrest during 1918-39  In 1919-20 the Empire gained an extra 1 million square miles of territory and 13 million new subjects, mainly in the Middle East, which was now valued because of its recently-discovered oil reserves as well as its proximity to India Under the League of Nations ‘mandates’ system, Britain took over Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq and the Gulf States from Turkey, and Tanganyika and other areas from Germany In Britain itself between the wars the Empire remained a source of national pride and identity, not least through the yearly celebration of Empire Day and the opening of the Empire Stadium at Wembley in 1923 In general, though, the 1920s and 30s saw the Empire become more tight-knit economically. The Empire Marketing Board, created in 1926, and the introduction of Imperial Preference (1932), a system of tariff walls around the Empire and Commonwealth, led to a rise in colonial imports from 25 per cent of British imports in 1910-14 to 40 per cent in 1939. Exports to the colonies rose from 36 per cent in 1910-14 to 50 per cent in 1939. But the fact that British industry, once ‘the workshop of the world’, was able to do reasonably well only in sheltered imperial markets was a token of Britain’s general economic decline as a result of the cost of the First World War. In the 1930s the balance of payments was persistently in deficit, making it difficult to afford the cost of stationing large forces across the world. Overall, during the 1920s and 1930s the Empire was outwardly secure but contained forces of strain and unrest. Collapse and Revival during 1939-45 In some ways the Empire was a strategic burden during the Second World War, stretching British resources and tying up troops who might have been better employed closer to home. The loss of Malaya, Singapore, Burma and Hong Kong to Japan by 1942 changed perceptions of Britain’s ability to maintain its empire. There were strikes and uprisings against British rule in India, Egypt, Kenya and Northern Rhodesia. For ideological and economic reasons the United States, which entered the war in 1941 and whose support was vital to Britain’s survival, opposed imperialism? Washington’s voice could scarcely be ignored. Under the ‘Lend-Lease’ program the United States provided Britain with $26 billion worth of aid, twice that from the dominions and colonies. Yet despite such challenges the Empire staged what was on the whole an impressive show of strength and unity, providing nearly 5 million troops, almost as many as Britain itself. In 1940 London set aside ? 20 million for colonial development and welfare, suggesting that in the event of victory the Empire might well have a secure and economically viable future. When Japan surrendered in August 1945 the British were able to reclaim the Asian territories that had previously been lost, many quite undamaged. American anti-imperialism had been more rhetorical than real, especially after the death of President Roosevelt in April 1945. In short, the Empire’s fortunes were revived. Conclusion By the mid-1960s, and certainly by 1980, the British Empire was practically no more. It had expanded from around 1870 until about 1900 as a result of rivalry with other European states, economic pressures and a sense of ‘jingoism’ at home. There were further gains after the First World War due to opportunities presented by the defeat of Turkey and Germany, and economically the Empire became more tightly knit than ever between the wars. Yet the interwar years saw growing pressure for self-rule among the colonial peoples. During the Second World War much of the Empire in Asia fell rapidly at Japanese hands only to be regained equally swiftly in 1945. Decolonization occurred due to colonial agitation for self-rule, changing trade patterns, and the fact that in the age of the superpowers colonial empires seemed anachronistic and because of the indifference of the British public to the Empire. In essence, no real advantage was to be found in its maintenance. Apart from a few remnants such as Hong Kong, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and Bermuda, by 1980 the once vast British Empire had disappeared.

The Debate Over Darwin Essay Topics

The Debate Over Darwin Essay Topics The One Thing to Do for Darwin Essay Topics Even today exists a group of men and women who believe that essay writing is the simplest portion of any educational program and that which you should do there, is to just go on writing whatever and wherever you really feel like writing whatever comes in your mind. You should be proficient in the topic, have an overall idea about the chosen issue and can get the best arguments to demonstrate your thesis. You have to have noticed that each and every topic is significantly related to the some sort of mystery since if you won't create suspense and unveil the unknown then you won't be in a position to draw the readers attention at any instance. In an issue of speaking, picking out persuasive essay topics is similar to telling yourself what you need to convey to the rest of earth. Ok, I Think I Understand Darwin Essay Topics, Now Tell Me About Darwin Essay Topics! Our principal purpose is to meet up wit h the customer's expectations so we attempt to create outstanding content at inexpensive rates. Don't worry, your private information won't ever become public. When you're selecting an essay topic, it's important to select one that has a lot of information and statistics to back up your viewpoint, and don't exaggerate any info that you've chosen to write about. You should have accessibility to proper resources that will enable you to compose the essay with suitable sense and structure. The Lost Secret of Darwin Essay Topics Not only does bad spelling make you appear unprofessional, in addition, it provides the reader the impression which you don't understand what you are speaking about. Darwin conducted widespread research on animals and plants to be able to learn the important procedure of evolution. It's recommended that you just pick the topic that you're able to deal with, for instance, if you're not t sketching the personality characteristics then you ought to better not elect for it. Finding out how to compose an essay is something which will help students not just in their school and college career, but throughout their life too. Free Charles Darwin essay samples can be found FreeEssayHelp with no payment or registration. Normally, a structure of essay includes three principal sections, in other words, introduction, body, and conclusion. The essay isn't the simplest task to master. It requires proficient handling and professional approach. Keep in mind, the last paragraph will be what the reader will bear in mind the most. Writing argumentative essay is a complicated undertaking, as it requires the presence of many skills at the very same time. Consequently, article writing pitfalls ought to be eradicated by all prospective means. In order to assist you narrow down a proper topic and title for your environmental essay, we've discussed some techniques you could employ. A Secret Weapon for Darwin Essay Topics Before writing argumentativ e essay, a suitable comprehension of the subject needs to be developed, and relevant and authentic material ought to be used. It can be related to science or literature. For a student in the center school the usual topics are associated with science and history. Choosing excellent essay topics for middle school needs to be a careful procedure, where a balance must be struck between topics that could be too simplistic, more proper for the key school, and choosing argumentative essay topics that might be too complicated or controversial. Facts, Fiction and Darwin Essay Topics The essay is genuinely a college job interview during the manner of an essay. Experienced and inexpensive essay writers are what it is possible to find on Darwinessays. Following are a few of the advised sociology essay topic for those students that are unable to choose a great topic for their assignment. If you would like to purchase essay online and don't understand what things to do, keep calm and don 't fret about doing it. The genuine leadership essay is simple to read and understand. Social Darwinism was very popular at the start of the 20th Century. Choice of the essay topic is important portion of your efforts to compose a fantastic essay. When you select the essay topics, think whether you can say something interesting through it.

Environmental Estrogens - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 876 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/22 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Lindsay Whittaker Biology 111 April 15, 2009 Environmental Estrogens We eat and are exposed to these deadly products every day. They are in the foods we eat and in our environment. These substances have been known to cause disease, cancers and different birth defects. What is this you ask? This synthetic substance can be found in the environment and when absorbed into a persons system, may function in a similar wary to estrogen, the generic term for female sex hormones (Environmental hormones and environmental estrogen 1998). These deadly chemicals are environmental estrogens. Environmental estrogens can be emitted from pollution, fertilizers, and many synthetic substances which are used by humans. Examples of these sources are pesticides such as DDT, endosulfan, dieldrin, methoxychlor, kepone, dicofol, toxaphene, and chordane, and pharmaceuticals such as drug estrogens and birth control pills. Over the last ten years, scientists and researchers have become very concerned about what environmental estrogens do to wildlife and human populations. There have been approximately 50 environmental estrogens defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH). Environmental estrogens are harmful for the environment and to humans alike. Wildlife, along with the human population is affected by environmental estrogens. Fish are affected by estrogens contained in DDT, a frequently used pesticide, and PCB’s, Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Scientific studies conducted on small animals such as frogs, produced bizarre defects such as additional extremities and the absence of eyes. (Cody 1998). Some species of frogs have also been noted to be becoming extinct because of these harmful chemicals filling the environment. A large amount of environmental estrogens exist in some of our nation’s rivers and lakes. The environmental estrogens are ingested by fish and other sea life. For example, in the Delaware River area s, fish consumption advisories have been issued to residents warning them about the high PCB’s found in the Delaware River fish (Cody 1998). According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, reported that male walleye fish from the Mississippi river have shown high levels of estrogen and low levels of testosterone (Cody 1998). Females also showed almost five times as much estrogen than normal levels (Cody 1998). In Arizona, environmental estrogens have also been found in local river fish. The Arizona Daily Star reported that fish from the Gila River, in Phoenix, have almost 24 parts per million of DDF, a breakdown of DDT (Cody 1998). Away from fish hazards, other animals are suffering due to these debilitating chemicals in our environment. In Florida, alligators have shown a sharp decrease in hatchlings in Lake Griffin (Cody 1998). Local alligator farmers were puzzled at this sharp decrease in hatchlings mainly because in previous years, almost 50% of eggs hatched, and now only 4 . % were hatching (Cody 1998). In the mammal spectrum of affected animals, Polar bears in the North Pole have been found with both female and male genitals due to the PCB’s in their diet of fish (Cody 1998). On the human side of the spectrum, many factors act with estrogens to harm human health substantially. Along with disrupting human reproductive systems, environmental estrogens can also cause some cancers and other disorders. Environmental estrogens are also known to act at very low concentrations (Environmental Estrogens Act at Very Low Concentrations [updated in 2004]). They can cause major changes in endocrine organs and disrupting the nervous system and chemical messengers. In women, environmental estrogens have caused breast cancer and in men, a low sperm count (Environmental hormones and environmental estrogen 1998). Endometriosis is a common disorder which is now thought to be caused by environmental estrogens. This disease, experienced by women commonly disrupt s the fertility process by attacking the reproductive organs. Breast cancer is another disease in women that environmental estrogens are thought to play a part in. Like many diseases, the frequency of breast cancer has increase dramatically since the 1950’s. In males, a reduction in the amount of sperm produced is thought to be a result of exposure to these chemicals as well. Also, testicular cancer in males has increased. A new discovery also revealed that additives such as preservatives, coloring and flavorings added to food may also alter hormones. Although there is no clear way to avoid the ingestion of these harmful substances, some precautions can be taken as well. Avoid the use of pesticides near your home and be conscious of what ingredients you are using in meals. Scientists are working on plans and solutions to this widespread growing problem. Hopefully soon, a solution can be formulated in order to keep our earth healthy and alive for much longer. Environment al estrogens are everywhere in the atmosphere. The damage these dangerous environmental estrogens are causing to the reproductive systems of wildlife and humans, alike, the cycle of life in all species appears to be threatened. In this age of conservation and rescue of our planet, it seems that scientists and environmentalists should already be  working together to create less harmful chemicals used in pesticides and other compounds containing these synthetic estrogens. Because environmental estrogens increase risks of cancers and other harmful reproductive disorders, more people are becoming susceptible to these harmful diseases. If nothing is done to lessen the risk of using these pesticides and other harmful products, human and animal populations may decrease and soon there maybe no one or nothing inhabiting the planet at all. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Environmental Estrogens" essay for you Create order