In 2010, the new Conservative secretary of state for education, Michael Gove, initiated a series of reforms which radically changed the focus of English state education, making students’ acquisition of knowledge a priority. Despite Gove’s short period in office, his reforms set the agenda for much of the education policy that followed, resulting in revamped GCSEs, a new performance measure called the English Baccalaureate, and a shift in emphasis for school inspections to how teachers structure and sequence knowledge.
Many teachers fiercely opposed Gove’s new knowledge-rich National Curriculum, arguing that it was unnecessarily proscriptive and overly traditional. Others argued that Gove’s reforms failed to address the underlying problem, which is that state school teachers, they allege, are not themselves committed to ensuring that young people are given access to a demanding, knowledge-based education.
Recently, however, some have argued that Conservative education policy has drifted away from the focus on knowledge. Witness the introduction of a new mandatory subject of Relationship, Sex and Health Education, as well as government concern with how schools deal with various moral and political issues.
A recent report by the Lords Education for 11-16 Committee argued that the government should ‘reduce the amount of content in the 11–16 curriculum’ and ensure that it promotes the ‘development of a broader set of knowledge, skills and behaviours’. A Labour Party briefing document, Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity, has promised a broadening of the curriculum to ensure that it ‘reflects the issues and diversities of our society’.
Currently, 93% of English children attend state schools, and whilst the academic achievements of many are impressive, state education more broadly seems to be beset by many seemingly intractable problems. The Prime Minister is legally required to call the next UK General Election by 28 January 2025. So do we need restate the case for knowledge, or has the ‘Gove revolution’ had its day? What new policies are needed to improve state education? And what should teachers be arguing for in the forthcoming election?
SPEAKERS
Ian Mitchell English and Psychology teacher for 20 years in state and independent schools; blogs about education talks, debates, literature and current affairs at Secondary Ideas
Tim Oates CBE Group Research Director, Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Sarah Seleznyov strategic lead for learning and development, Big Education
Alex Standish associate professor of geography education, University College London; co-author, What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines, Subjects and the Pursuit of Truth
CHAIR
Toby Marshall teacher of film studies and member of the AOI Education Forum
RECOMMENDED READING
Gove education reforms – Will we soon see the last of them?, Toby Marshall, Teachwire
