NALDIC responds to the primary National Curriculum proposals

NALDIC has recently joined forces with the Council for Subject Associations (CfSA) , Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) , Information for Schools and College Governors (ISCG) , National Association of Advisers in English (NAAE), National Association for Primary Education (NAPE) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) to respond to the proposals for the new primary National Curriculum in what is a 'pre-consultation phase'.

We have joined with these organisations to highlight the following common areas of concern:

• Over-prescriptive curriculum - The proposed Curriculum is over-prescriptive leaving no room for teacher or school flexibility.Teachers will have little opportunity to create a curriculum which works for each separate, inclusive class of pupils.

• Overcrowding and narrowing of the curriculum - With increased over-prescription we are concerned that breadth and balance in the curriculum will be lost.

• Rote Learning - Too great an emphasis on rote learning in the Draft Programmes of Study means that children will be required to memorise information but not to think.

• Lack of trust in teachers – Teachers must be trusted and allowed to use their professional judgement and experience to teach children.

In addition we have argued that the proposals:

• pay too little regard to the linguistically diverse nature of our classrooms where one in six pupils is learning EAL on their way to becoming bilingual;
• fail to recognise that EAL learners come to school with a range of language and learning needs;
• do not include an oracy strand when the fundamental importance of the development of spoken language for learners of EAL cannot be emphasised too highly as talk is a key enabling facility for learning to read and write for all pupils, and particularly for those who are new to English;
• fail to recognise the importance of understanding graphics and visuals in print and digital texts as part of learning to read and write English
• fail to recognise that the language that learners need in order to develop their knowledge and understanding and participate fully in learning in classroom contexts is much more demanding and complex than simply ‘subject’ English and presents a very particular view of language that does not incorporate or make reference to the range of literacies children now encounter in their lives; and
• overemphasises the teaching of specific aspects of grammar, punctuation and spelling at the expense of holistic communicative language and literacy development of bilingual pupils in English and across the curriculum;

We have also noted that it is essential that any new framework recognises the need for the development of appropriate training for teachers as well as teaching resources, so that teachers are much better informed and more confident in their knowledge and understanding about language and language learning.

NALDIC response to Primary National Curriculum Proposals can be downloaded here.