Creative Britain Update
You will remember that in July I reported on fears that Design and Technology (D&T) was to be scrapped from the National Curriculum. Dick Powell, Deyan Sudjic and other key figures from the design industry launched a campaign to champion the benefits of D&T asking ‘Is Creative Britain in Reverse?’
Michael Gove’s curriculum review finally arrived in December and the good news is that the report recommends that the subject should be compulsory for all pupils from five to sixteen.
However, it is disappointing to discover that the report suggests D&T should be reclassified as part of the ‘Basic’ rather than ‘National’ curriculum.
“Despite their importance in balanced educational provision, we are not entirely persuaded of claims that design and technology, information and communication technology, and citizenship have sufficient disciplinary coherences to be stated as discrete and separate National Curriculum ‘subjects’,” the report reads.
Richard Green, chief executive of the D&T Association, is concerned about what the findings mean for the future of D&T teaching: “Removing D&T from the National Curriculum means that there would be no nationally prescribed programme of study and schools would be free to decide what and how much is taught. This is potentially very damaging and in some schools this could see the subject marginalized.”
Whilst it is heartening that the Department for Education has formally recognised the many advantages of D&T in schools, it is frustrating that the subject has been sidelined.
A sign that whilst Creative Britain might not be in reverse, perhaps it is dawdling in neutral?
signup
for latest updates & offers
