The biggest issue I have with the UK curriculum is how valuable it could be if what was being taught resonated with what is happening at the core of our society. Now of course I understand that the UK curriculum is structured in a particular way to ensure students learn the core subjects - English Language, Literature, Maths, and Science - however, it troubles me that what students learn are not of any use to them as soon as they open their A level results and head off to university. Instead of creating a curriculum that includes POC writers and characters, a wider range of topics in depth in PSHE, and current world affairs, we have a system that is dedicated to pressuring students to overachieve and memorise facts, figures, and quotes.
The curriculum needs to adapt and evolve with society. I remember doing GCSE History and the only kind of modern history we learnt was Nazi Germany. For starters, the role of Britain seems to always be glorified whenever we learn about our history. We always tend to learn that we were on the right side of history and never the wrong and glorify political leaders like Winston Churchill who have made controversial remarks concerning POC. Now while I do believe that Nazi Germany, WWII and the atrocities of the Holocaust should be taught I don't believe that it should count as 'modern history.' When I think of modern history, I think of the 9/11 attacks which then led to the Iraq war and the unfair discrimination and stereotyping of Islam and Muslims. This is a crucial issue that needs to be taught on the curriculum as it covers terrorism, discrimination, and ignorance of people who choose to blame a majority of people from one faith based on the actions of a few individuals instead of choosing to educate themselves. This idea of persecuting and oppressing people of colour is also evident in the countless cases of police brutality and the US incarceration system which plays a massive role in systemic racism. Much of the negative history that the UK has contributed to both in and out of its country has been censored, leaving students with a distorted perception of the reality of our country's history. This lack of education the curriculum does not provide is what leads to the ignorance that has shaped our world.
English Literature and Language are subjects that also need amending. One of the main issues I have regarding English is that it is is primarily structured around reading and writing. Both of these are necessary skills however, it does concern me that the concept of speaking has been neglected in English studies. For example, there is a lack of presentations and when there is an assignment to do a presentation there will always be students who are shy or nervous about being able to speak in front of their peers. I believe that to prepare students for the real world this is a big part of what needs to be included in the curriculum. There needs to be more of an emphasis on presenting ideas and opinions to a room full of people, by incorporating speaking assessments that count towards GCSE and A levels as well as support to those students who feel speaking in front of people is not their strong suit. These kinds of exercises and skills will help students prepare for interviews, self-confidence, and communication skills.
English Literature has always been my favourite subject. I look reading and writing and figuring out how authors have created a story or character out of nothing. What bothers me looking at the curriculum is the lack of diversity in characters and authors that we are told to study. For example, Shakespeare is an author we are taught from year 7 up to 6th form. It is a compulsory text that students need to know about due to its high status in the literary canon. However, a lot of the Shakespearean texts we are taught do not resonate with the issues or ideas of our own time. While, I believe Shakespeare is a major part of literature, the status we place on his texts alone neglect students from reading and studying modern texts as well as texts by POC. Shakespeare is also a form of literature that was hat began with the intention of being performed not studied and memorised for exams. In this case, the use of Shakespeare in the curriculum is misguided. There should be a diverse range of writers, books, and genres that cover different themes and ideas allowing students to gain a more cultured and developed understanding of the world. Allowing the curriculum to have a wider range of literature will teach students about different cultures, eras, and people.
1 in 8 pupils have a mental disorder - NHS
Now more than ever, we need to incorporate mental health into the curriculum. Every year the overwhelming sense of pressure and high expectations put on students from their parents and teachers leads to anxiety and depression. It is essential not to only incorporate mental health into school facilities but also in the curriculum. Learning about mental health will break down the stigma that you should not talk and confront your feelings and will allow students to be more mindful of what their peers are going through. To achieve this we need qualified guidance councillors in every school so that students have a safe space to talk to someone who will understand what they are going through whether this is related to home or school. It should be essential for year 7 students to have a meeting with this councillor to ease their way into adapting to secondary school as well as GCSE and A level students who may feel that the pressure of their exams and future may be too much to handle by themselves.
One subject that I truly believe never lived up to its potential would be PSHE. It is a subject dedicated to educating students on wider society, sex education, personal, and life skills. However, when I look back on what I learnt in this subject it was merely a 50-minute lesson that we were given once a week. I look at PSHE as a crucial subject because it should be the one subject that is preparing students for the real world. It should be teaching us how to approach people at work or a social setting, peer pressure in university, sexual assault, rape, consent, drug abuse, racism, micro-aggressions, money management, debt, and so much more. The biggest disappointment with this subject is that everything - in my experience - was so repetitive. It would be the same structure of lessons, watching a video that we had already seen the year before, answering a few questions, and receiving the same analysis of the video. For PSHE to help students, these lessons need to include practical scenarios and role-plays, debates, and more of a conversation about these difficult topics. Allowing students to practically discuss and take apart these topics will make them more familiar with the issues and will give them a chance to educate others. Only then will students be more informed about the wider world and be able to make good and educated decisions regarding these issues.
When I look back on my education especially my A levels the one thing I remember the most is the immense pressure and stress I put on myself and that same stress I saw many of my friends go through. Looking back on how much I worried and stressed I wonder was it worth it? Is what I learnt valuable to me as an adult? The answer is no. While the UK curriculum prepares us with basic knowledge within some of our core subjects there is still a lot missing. Our exams have been catered to memorising a certain amount of information for a short amount of time. After leaving 6th form I realised that my education did not prepare me for the real world. It did not prepare me for a society that is constantly evolving and needs our voices to progress. If society is constantly evolving then it only makes sense that our curriculum and learning evolve with it. Only then, can we work towards a better and fairer society.
Pass on the message,
Miss Minority