Teachers 'have not had enough time to implement curriculum changes'
Teachers across England have expressed their concerns about the amount of time they have been given to implement incoming changes to the National Curriculum.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has published the results of a survey of 1,940 of its members on the topic of the curriculum updates, which are set to come into effect in September 2014, with most expressing doubt over whether they can be implemented in time.
Around 78 per cent said that the timescale imposed has not provided anywhere near enough time to ensure a high-quality learning experience for children and young people, with 36 per cent saying they have not had any time at all to get ready for the new curriculum.
Moreover, 94 per cent supported the idea for at least one extra INSET training day to be scheduled during the summer or autumn term to help all teachers to prepare for the changes. Comments from individual NUT members accused education secretary Michael Gove of failing to understand the "unworkable and unsustainable" nature of his imposed changes in education.
Other findings from the survey revealed that 91 of teachers disapprove of the expectation that schools must spend money from their stretched budgets on resources and courses from profit-making companies, rather than receiving high-quality support from local authorities, as was the case in the past.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said: "This rushed and botched implementation of the new curriculum is just one more example of the sink or swim approach taken to education initiatives by this government. The secretary of state is quick to blame teachers, but low on understanding about teaching and dangerously out of touch with the reality in the classroom."
This comes after the NUT also recently conducted a survey of parents, which showed that many of the concerns held by teachers are shared by the mothers and fathers of their students. Indeed, 50 per cent said they believe the government's overall impact on the education system has been negative.
Posted by Darryl Mydat
