Analysis of comments on draft curriculum published

The Ministry of Education has published an analysis of more than 200 submissions made in an eight-month consultation on the framework of the National Minimum Curriculum. In an executive summary, it said that conflicting tensions faced the different stakeholders involved in the education sector. While there was agreement with the general principles and aims of the draft National Curriculum Framework – such as entitlement, diversity, learner centred learning, continuum of achievement, - concern was expressed with the minutiae and the detail of recommendations presented in the draft NCF of how such general principles and aims are to be met. There was agreement that the vision presented with regard to Science Education was exciting; that the proposed Core Science subject should not become a soft option; that students should be allowed to choose one Science subject; that well planned re-skilling are required with current teachers who are mainly grounded in Mathematics and Physics. There was general agreement that considerable and sustained investment was required to strengthen, up-skill, re-skill and re-tool teachers and educators if the principles and aims of education as presented in...