The NEU should support the Knowledge rich curriculum and high quality textbooks

 

President/conference

I believe that the development and sharing of curriculum materials that are knowledge rich and have teacher led instruction and whole class teaching at their core do not take away a teacher’s professionalism and can help to reduce teacher workload. 

My attempt at making you change your mind in three minutes is probably reminiscent of the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854. And I quote those famous words from Alfred Lord Tennyson

"Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. “Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred"

Despite my valour, I fear the inevitable outcome. But I will try

A knowledge rich curriculum is not just filling kids with facts, it is not a pub quiz curriculum, it is not “back to Gradgrind” it is a myth that the knowledge rich curriculum stifles creativity. Creativity is not a generic skill that can be taught. Creativity arises from a bed of knowledge. In fact, any enquiry learning can only be effective when it is based on sound knowledge.

Following the Department of Education’s call for pilot schools to bid for Curriculum Development Funds, In 2018, the Historical Association (HA) sought clarification from the DFE on the question of what is meant by enquiry learning. The Historical association clearly stated

An ‘enquiry’ in the history education community is shorthand for a sequence of lessons integrated by a direct focus on a single ‘enquiry question’ and within which pupils build knowledge systematically and cumulatively in order to be able to answer that question by the end of it. A well-crafted enquiry explicitly facilitates a knowledge-rich approach to history

Conference, ‘knowledge-rich’ and ‘enquiry-based’ learning are not mutually exclusive. Different stages of learning benefit most from different strategies. There is convincing evidence that novices benefit most from explicit instruction, and that pupil led inquiry is more effective once the Initial learning is secure

One of the main aims of the curriculum fund is to provide Curriculum materials. For example, high quality textbooks. Good textbooks reduce workload. High quality textbooks support both teachers and pupils, they free teachers up to concentrate on refining pedagogy and developing engaging, effective learning. Resources cost money. The role as a union is to put pressure on the Government to resource it.

I want to say how encouraged I was to hear about the level of debate that took place at the “Celebrating Education” day that was largely organised by the executive member, Jess Edwards, although I couldn't attend  was somewhat  sceptical that it would be balanced, I really wish I was there to hear the debate between one of our members, Ben Newmark who argued for a "Knowledge rich" approach and Mary Bousted, Joint Gen Secretary who disagreed. You see. I’m not the only one.

Finally, as I stand here, looking across the conference hall, I can’t help feeling like Stringer Bell, the fictional character played by Idris Elba, in the greatest TV series of all time “The Wire” when staring down the barrels of guns pointing at him from his adversaries Omar and Brother Mouzone, he tries to convince them not to shoot him. But he accepts his fate saying  "I can't say nothing to change your mind"