The authors of this book examine the British National Curriculum from several different perspectives and concentrate on various subject areas. The uniting theme between these essays is the argument that the subjects in the school curriculum used to be regarded as discrete areas of knowledge which would be imparted to pupils by teachers motivated by a love of learning, but that this has not been enough for recent governments who see schools as a means of promoting social and political goals that may or may not relate to traditional academic disciplines.The contributors to this book argue that we need to return to the traditional view of education as a means of transmitting a body of knowledge from one generation to the next, and that academic rigour and respect for the professionalism of teachers should take precedence over political manipulation of the curriculum.
The Corruption of the Curriculum
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Review
A devastating study by the think tank Civitas shows that it is
possible to leave school with almost no knowledge of English literature and
only the merest acquaintance with British history. -- Leader column, Daily Telegraph, June 11th
Education today is a form of child abuse - Yesterday's report on
British education from the independent think-tank Civitas represents a
dispatch from the battlefield describing a national catastrophe. It is no
surprise that pupils learn so little because so much curriculum time has
been hijacked for the peddling of propaganda about racism, gender
awareness, environmentalism and suchlike. -- Max Hastings, Daily Mail, June 12th
If I'd sat down and written a spoof exam paper which used the
speeches of Osama Bin Laden as a basis for a history lesson, plenty of you
would have written to me and said: 'I think you've gone a bit far this
time, Rich.' But this is exactly what's happening in Britain's schools. -- Richard Littlejohn, Daly Mail, June 12th
The school curriculum has been "hijacked" to promote fashionable
causes, such as gender awareness, with too little focus on the acquisition
of knowledge, a report suggests (Alexandra Frean writes). Instead of giving
pupils a factual grounding, teachers are expected to help to achieve
government goals, according to the right-of-centre think-tank Civitas. -- The Times, June 12th
`Learning `ruined by political meddling' in schools. In history,
pupils use bin Laden speeches. In science, debates on abortion replace lab
work. The Curriculum in state schools has been stripped of its content and
corrupted by political interference, according to a damning report today by
an influential independent think-tank. It warns of an educational apartheid
opening up between the experience of pupils in the state sector and those
at independent schools.' -- Front Page, Daily Telegraph, June 11th
possible to leave school with almost no knowledge of English literature and
only the merest acquaintance with British history. -- Leader column, Daily Telegraph, June 11th
Education today is a form of child abuse - Yesterday's report on
British education from the independent think-tank Civitas represents a
dispatch from the battlefield describing a national catastrophe. It is no
surprise that pupils learn so little because so much curriculum time has
been hijacked for the peddling of propaganda about racism, gender
awareness, environmentalism and suchlike. -- Max Hastings, Daily Mail, June 12th
If I'd sat down and written a spoof exam paper which used the
speeches of Osama Bin Laden as a basis for a history lesson, plenty of you
would have written to me and said: 'I think you've gone a bit far this
time, Rich.' But this is exactly what's happening in Britain's schools. -- Richard Littlejohn, Daly Mail, June 12th
The school curriculum has been "hijacked" to promote fashionable
causes, such as gender awareness, with too little focus on the acquisition
of knowledge, a report suggests (Alexandra Frean writes). Instead of giving
pupils a factual grounding, teachers are expected to help to achieve
government goals, according to the right-of-centre think-tank Civitas. -- The Times, June 12th
`Learning `ruined by political meddling' in schools. In history,
pupils use bin Laden speeches. In science, debates on abortion replace lab
work. The Curriculum in state schools has been stripped of its content and
corrupted by political interference, according to a damning report today by
an influential independent think-tank. It warns of an educational apartheid
opening up between the experience of pupils in the state sector and those
at independent schools.' -- Front Page, Daily Telegraph, June 11th
From the Back Cover
The subjects in the school curriculum used to be regarded as
discrete areas
of knowledge which would be imparted to pupils by teachers motivated
by a love of learning.
This has not been enough for recent governments, who see schools as a
means of promoting social and political goals that may or may not relate
to
traditional academic disciplines. This has given us geography as a vehicle
for environmentalism; history that neglects major events and
personalities;
science classes in which pupils discuss global warming without having
the knowledge base on which to make an informed judgment; language
classes that are supposed to boost international competitiveness but leave
the literature and cultures of other countries unexamined; English classes
in which the love of language is trumped by the ethnicity and gender of
authors; and maths in which basic concepts like fractions are repeated
year after year without ever having enough time to sink in.
The contributors to this book argue that we need to return to the
traditional
view of education as a means of transmitting a body of knowledge from
one generation to the next, and that academic rigour and respect for
the professionalism of teachers should take precedence over political
manipulation of the curriculum.
discrete areas
of knowledge which would be imparted to pupils by teachers motivated
by a love of learning.
This has not been enough for recent governments, who see schools as a
means of promoting social and political goals that may or may not relate
to
traditional academic disciplines. This has given us geography as a vehicle
for environmentalism; history that neglects major events and
personalities;
science classes in which pupils discuss global warming without having
the knowledge base on which to make an informed judgment; language
classes that are supposed to boost international competitiveness but leave
the literature and cultures of other countries unexamined; English classes
in which the love of language is trumped by the ethnicity and gender of
authors; and maths in which basic concepts like fractions are repeated
year after year without ever having enough time to sink in.
The contributors to this book argue that we need to return to the
traditional
view of education as a means of transmitting a body of knowledge from
one generation to the next, and that academic rigour and respect for
the professionalism of teachers should take precedence over political
manipulation of the curriculum.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By T. Burkard
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This book is especially interesting because it is published by Civitas, a London think-tank which is normally considered somewhat right-of-centre. Civitas promotes the concept that a healthy civic society can provide education and social services more efficiently than the state; for instance, Civitas supports private charities and co-operatives. Such bodies are not separated from the people they serve by an impenetrable bureaucratic mechanism which serves its own interests first.
Yet most of the chapters of this book were written by the old Living Marxism crew, who now operate under the aegis of Spiked Online, and the Institute of Ideas. These people have abandoned the concept of state socialism, and embraced a libertarian stance. More importantly, they recognise that progressive education is just plain stupid, and that our children are no longer receiving the education they need to understand complex ideas. As the great psychologist Jerome Bruner once said about discovery learning, "it is the most inefficient technique possible for regaining what has been gathered over a long period of time."
So politics does indeed make strange bedfellows, or as some people might have it, bedpersons. The contributions to this book vary in quality, but they are all well written, and they all expose the follies of the know-nothings who would indoctrinate our children in post-modern inanities. Well worth the modest cover price.
Yet most of the chapters of this book were written by the old Living Marxism crew, who now operate under the aegis of Spiked Online, and the Institute of Ideas. These people have abandoned the concept of state socialism, and embraced a libertarian stance. More importantly, they recognise that progressive education is just plain stupid, and that our children are no longer receiving the education they need to understand complex ideas. As the great psychologist Jerome Bruner once said about discovery learning, "it is the most inefficient technique possible for regaining what has been gathered over a long period of time."
So politics does indeed make strange bedfellows, or as some people might have it, bedpersons. The contributions to this book vary in quality, but they are all well written, and they all expose the follies of the know-nothings who would indoctrinate our children in post-modern inanities. Well worth the modest cover price.
7 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Tiresias
Format:Paperback
My 9 year old daughter is very familiar with the marriage rituals of (non-Christian)religions but when I asked her if she knew what the book of Genesis was, she had no idea. Read this book and weep at the misspent decades of fiddling with the English education system. It's a breathtaking indictment of the dead-end consequences of prioritising 'inclusivity', 'non-competitiveness' and all the other tripe that has accompanied the dumbing down of what was once a terrific system. It used to be possible for ordinary working class kids of this country to take the chance to acquire sufficient education for free to rise beyond their chains. No longer.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By farheen
Format:Paperback
i got a real bargain on this book which i thought would be used but brand new for a really cheap price. i havent quite read it yet but it looks like a book you could use quite easily for reference.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Completely worthless book and an insult to children
2007. For some unstated reason, the 'Institute of Ideas' (abbreviated amusingly to what looks like 'laughing out loud') gets a credit; I'd guess they gave taxpayers' money. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2010 by Rerevisionist
1.0 out of 5 stars
a devastating critique of a politically-correct educational...
...or lazy sensationalism with the intellectual rigour of a Daily Mail columnist? Read it and decide for yourselves. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2007 by reno
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