Recent Press Releases
School curriculum change too fast warn key science organisations
PR17(07)
Tue, 22 May 2007
Proposed changes to the National Curriculum for science for pupils aged 11 – 14 are happening too fast to be successfully implemented warned SCORE(1) – a partnership of scientific learned societies, science teachers and other key science organisations – ahead of a House of Lords debate on science teaching in schools today (Thursday 3 May 2007).
SCORE said in a new report (2) that it did not believe that teachers were being given sufficient time and guidance to prepare for the changes to Key Stage 3, which the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) is proposing to introduce from September 2008. These changes are intended to give teachers more flexibility to meet the individual needs of their pupils by, in part, reducing the level of detail about what should be included in the curriculum.
Professor Michael Reiss, Director of Education at the Royal Society, said on behalf of SCORE: “It's vital more young people are interested and enthused about studying the sciences. It is therefore alarming that changes at such an important time for young people – their first taste of secondary school – are being rushed along on the wave of reform without any piloting. We cannot afford to let these changes demotivate any more young people, or disillusion any more science teachers.”
SCORE points out that science teachers are already under pressure, having to cope with numerous changes to the science curriculum. Many of them, for example, will be teaching the second year of new GCSE courses from September 2007, as well as preparing to introduce GCSEs in the separate sciences and new A-level courses from September 2008.
Dr Derek Bell, Chief Executive of The Association for Science Education, said: "There is much to be welcomed in the proposed changes to the Key Stage 3 curriculum but they will not happen overnight. It’s time we all learnt some lessons from the past and not rush the introduction of curriculum changes. Teachers and schools need time to adapt their practice in order to take advantage of the opportunities the new curriculum arrangements offer. In particular they need time to plan and develop programmes which enthuse pupils as well as continue to raise their aspirations and achievements."
Daniel Sandford-Smith, Education ManagerSchools and Colleges at the Institute of Physics, said: "These reforms are a double-edged sword. Giving teachers more flexibility to exercise their professional
judgement is good. However, reducing the constraints of the curriculum without providing proper guidance for teachers runs the risk that some will become more reliant on the content of Key Stage 3 tests to direct their teaching. This kind of 'teaching to the test' actually undermines the Government's ambitions in making these changes to 'personalise' pupil's learning."
SCORE also warns that publishers will not be able to provide high quality resources in time. It voices concerns about the number of errors that are creeping into resources and believes that this could be exacerbated by the rush to have material ready before teaching starts in September 2008.
SCORE has recommended that schools should be allowed the option of piloting the Key Stage 3 changes from 2008 but should also be given the option of postponing until September 2009.
Notes to editors:
- Science Community Partnership Supporting Education (SCORE) is a partnership of the Association for Science Education, Biosciences Federation, Institute of Biology, Institute of Physics, Royal Society, Royal Society of Chemistry and the Science Council. The partnership aims to bring collective action and a strategic approach to strengthening science education, and believes its influence on government lies in a greater degree of collaboration and in having a sense of common purpose. Through this collective action, the partnership aims to increase its influence over the direction of science education in the years to come, in particular over teacher supply and retention, curriculum development, assessment, delivery of support to teachers and students, and strategies for reaching all young people regardless of age, background, level of ability, gender, ethnic origin and geographical location.
- House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report into Science Teaching in Schools – a response from the Science Community Partnership Supporting STEM Education (SCORE). This report is available from the Royal Society press office.
- The Association for Science Education (ASE) is the largest subject association in the UK with a membership which includes teachers, technicians and others involved in science education. The Association plays a significant role in promoting excellence in teaching and learning of science in schools and colleges. Working closely with the science professional bodies, industry and business, ASE provides a UK-wide network bringing together individuals and organisations to share good ideas and tackle challenges in science teaching, develop resources and foster high quality Continuing Professional Development. Further details of the ASE and its regional, national and international activities can be found at its website www.ase.org.uk
- The Biosciences Federation is a single authority representing the UK’s biological expertise, providing independent opinion to inform public policy and promoting the advancement of the biosciences. The Federation is actively working to influence policy and strategy in biology-based research - including funding and the interface with other disciplines - and in school and university teaching. The Federation is also concerned about the translation of research into benefits for society, and about the impact of legislation and regulations on the ability of those working in teaching and research to deliver effectively. The 49 full and associate Member Organisations cover the full range of biosciences from physiology and neuroscience, biochemistry and microbiology, to ecology, taxonomy and environmental science. Website: www.bsf.ac.uk
- The Institute of Biology is the professional and charitable body charged by Royal Charter to further the study and application of the UK’s biology and allied biosciences. It has 13,500 members and over 50 specialist learned Affiliated Societies
- The Institute of Physics is a scientific membership organisation devoted to increasing the understanding and application of physics. It has an extensive worldwide membership (currently over 35,000) and is a leading communicator of physics with all audiences from specialists through government to the general public. Its publishing company, Institute of Physics Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.
- The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the natural and applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. It responds to individual demand with selection by merit, not by field. The Society’s objectives are to:
- strengthen UK science by providing support to excellent individuals
- fund excellent research to push back the frontiers of knowledge
- attract and retain the best scientists
- ensure the UK engages with the best science around the world
- support science communication and education; and communicate and encourage dialogue with the public
- provide the best independent advice nationally and internationally
- promote scholarship and encourage research into the history of science
- The Royal Society of Chemistry is the UK Professional Body for chemical scientists and an international Learned Society for the chemical sciences with some 43,000 members worldwide. It is a major international publisher of chemical information, supports the teaching of the chemical sciences at all levels and is a leader in bringing science to the public.
- The Science Council is a representative membership body for professional and learned organisations across the spectrum of science and its applications and it aims to promote the members’ collective knowledge, resources and achievements. Membership comprises the core subject societies of physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics, as well as specialist discipline institutes and professional organisations. Through its member bodies the Science Council now represents some 400,000 practicing scientists in academia, the public sector, industry and commerce who are working across all areas of science: in health, engineering, technology and the environment.
For further information contact:
Sue Windebank
Press and Public Relations
The Royal Society, London
Tel: 020 7451 2514/2510
^ To the top ^