As of September 2014, in a revised national curriculum, pupils in
England’s primary schools will be expected to know their 12 times table by the
age of nine, as changes for schools propose place an extra an emphasis on improving arithmetic in
schools.
There are also plans to scrap the current system of levels used for Sats
tests and measuring pupils' progress. The Department for Education says it
wants to "restore rigour in what primary school children are taught".
The changes set out for consultation by the Department for Education
represent the latest shake-up of what is taught in primary schools in England.
In maths, the curriculum review wants to ensure strong foundations in
adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, so that pupils are ready for
more stretching maths topics in secondary school.
In science, there will be content added on the "solar system, speed
and evolution", with an "increased focus on practical scientific
experiments and demonstrations".
Earlier announcements proposed that learning a foreign language would be
compulsory from the age of seven.
In changes to English, there will be a greater emphasis on learning
grammar and pupils will be expected to be able to recite poetry.
Mary Bousted, head of the ATL
teachers' union, strongly attacked the proposals.
"Politicians who have been
in the job for two years are presenting a heavily-prescribed curriculum as a
fait accompli to thousands of teachers - many of whom have decades of
experience in the classroom," she said.
Shadow Education Secretary
Stephen Twigg said: "Labour supports a strong focus on the core subjects
of English, Maths and Science from an early age, as well as making learning a
foreign language compulsory from age seven."
But he warned that "the
government must ensure it bases its reforms not on ideology, but on what works
in the classroom".
The national curriculum is not
obligatory for academy schools - but they could still follow its
recommendations.
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