Teachers and non-teachers alike, so I’ve learned, all seem to agree that the curriculum isn’t quite right. There is a lot of content that students need to know that is missing, and a lot of what is in there is completely irrelevant.
Of course, the design of the curriculum depends on what your views on the purpose of education are in the first place. Is it to prepare students for life, for work or for further study? Or for something else?
It is a massive engagement and behavioural issue that students cannot see the point in learning some of the things that they are asked to. While some of that is just immaturity and trying to get out of work, some of it I find difficult to argue with. Sometimes, I agree.
Personally, I think work, pay and finance should be taught. You can’t argue that that isn’t relevant, and I really wish that I had been taught about it formally in school. I also think physical and mental health, rather than PE, is so much more important.
I find it difficult to grasp why the subjects are split up in the way that they are, and then everything I’ve just mentioned, the personal finance and the mental health, is lumped nicely into one new subject, ‘Personal, Social and Health Education’ or ‘Citizenship’. I just don’t think that’s the best way of doing it.
I think this particular issue is the reason you get students who have done very well in school, but cannot hack it once they are dumped into the real world. Lots of intelligence, but no common sense. To get common sense, you go outside of school.
What would your personal curriculum design look like?
Read the full series: Top Ten Things That Are Bullshit In Teaching
Similar post: Things I Wish Were On My PGCE But Weren't: Number 7 How To Plan
Read the full series: Top Ten Things That Are Bullshit In Teaching
Similar post: Things I Wish Were On My PGCE But Weren't: Number 7 How To Plan
2 comments:
I have a strange view education.
I think there should be a national curriculum that teaches basic things to students, but there should be an option for people who are sufficiently self-directed and clever.
They should be allowed to drop out immediately after learning how to read, and use Google to teach them everything they need to know.
If this were the case, I wouldn't have wasted all that time learning geometry and trigonometry when I could've just learned simple addition, subtraction, multiplication.
And while I'm glad I know the history of my country, I don't really care much about it to be honest. I could spend that time learning how to blog instead. ;)
Alas, what can ya do?
You're big on Google learning aren't you? Actually I love the idea of autodidactism and I think the internet really promotes this.
This is exactly what I mean, kids are finishing school having learned about calculus but not about bank accounts.
Yes a lot of things that we expect all students to do should be reserved just for gifted and talented students, for example, this facilitated learning business.
But, it's not inclusive is it? And I'm stopping there before I write an essay!
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