BLOG 2
WHAT SHOULD BE PRIORITISED IN PRIMARY EDUCATION?
In this blog I will be discussing topics that I believe should be fundamental in all schools, and also topics that are currently required to be taught under the new Welsh Curriculum, Successful Futures.
One of the reasons I chose to do ‘Primary Education Studies’ as a degree is because I don’t think that there’s a huge amount wrong with the curriculum we have at the moment. I feel that we are finally preparing our future generation to live in a world where differences and opinions will be rife, and that we need to equip them with the skills that they need to be able to cope in our society. ‘They should be taught a love of learning and problem solving rather than being drilled through a syllabus for the sake of it’. (Abbie Wightwick, BBC News, October 2017)
Our current curriculum
Professor Graham Donaldson released a report in 2015, after the Welsh Government asked him to modify our curriculum, based on the excellent work he had done in Scotland. In his report, we are introduced to the ‘Six Areas of Learning Experience’, which are six areas that children can learn within. The six areas are Science and Technology, Mathematics and Numeracy, Humanities, Health and well-being, Expressive arts and languages, literacy and communication. “Having common Areas of Learning and Experience from 3 to 16 should promote and underpin continuity and progression and help to make the structure easier to understand. The approach should help to ensure breadth and encourage appropriate decisions about ‘balance’ across a child or young person’s learning at any time, for example by removing distinctions between ‘core’ and ‘foundation’ subjects.” (Donaldson, 2015). These six areas of learning experience demonstrate the opportunity for students to explore other subjects that they may find interesting, for example, by embedding ‘expressive arts’ into their classroom schedule, a child could develop a love for that subject, which may never have happened without this curriculum.
As well as the six areas of learning experience, we have three cross-curricular skills. These are skills that will be at the height of focus for most schools, as we hope to continue to improve literacy, numeracy and digital competence standards across Wales. Literacy and numeracy have always been core subjects at school, however, digital competence has shown to become increasingly popular as we prepare for a world where technology is becoming more and more important- jobs are being replaced by machines, and iPads are aiding children across the country with their academic work. “The ability to use digital technology skills creatively is an increasingly common feature of the modern workplace” (Donaldson, 2015). Digital competence is the most usable and flexible cross-curricular skill, as it can be used for absolutely any subject. Children can learn how to use photoshop, create music, apps, videos and all sorts from their time at school, and the more time they have to use these techniques the better.
What I think should be in the curriculum
An investigation from the ‘Independent’ showed that charities say that having CPR and first aid training could save thousands of lives; and also that the Government propose to introduce this as a part of compulsory health education in all schools in England by the year 2020. In July 2018, Mike Adamson, Chief Executive of the British Red Cross said: “Future generations will now have the simple yet vital first aid skills, which could mean the difference between life and death in a first aid emergency”. I strongly agree with this, as I am fully first aid qualified, I understand the importance of knowing how to respond in what could be a fatal situation. Primary school children these days are learning to learn practically. There are more and more professors and teachers who are adapting to new ways of teaching to the likings of Professor Graham Donaldson, who has created a new curriculum for Wales, and first aid could not be more practical! No theory needed! I can’t stress enough how much I feel that people of all ages should be educated on this, and I would like to add to our curriculum! I remember being taught first aid at secondary school, but never at primary school. CPR is basic first aid and I feel is an important life skill for schools to teach, and follow-up on each year.
REFERENCES
1. Adamson, 2018. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/cpr-first-aid-skills-schools-curriculum-health-education-england-lives-a8455286.html
3. Donaldson Report, 2015. https://learn.cardiffmet.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/783979/mod_resource/content/0/Successful%20Futures.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment