Posted on 07/13/2007 4:25:16 PM PDT by Inquisitive1
Edited on 07/13/2007 4:46:05 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Secondary schools will strip back the traditional curriculum in favour of lessons on debt management, the environment and healthy eating, ministers revealed.
Even Winston Churchill no longer merits a mention after a drastic slimming-down of the syllabus to create more space for "modern" issues.
Along with Hitler, Gandhi, Stalin and Martin Luther King, the former prime minister has been dropped from a list of key figures to be mentioned in history teaching.
This means pupils may no longer hear about his stirring speeches during the Second World War, when he told Parliament that defeating Hitler would be Britain's "finest hour".
The only individuals now named in guidance accompanying the curriculum are anti-slavery campaigners Olaudah Equiano and William Wilberforce.
The omission of Churchill added to a growing row over Labour reforms to secondary education - the most radical since the national curriculum was introduced in 1988.
Critics warned traditional subject disciplines were being stripped of key content and used to promote fashionable causes and poorly-defined "life skills".
They said that while the two World Wars remain on the curriculum as broad topics the failure to specify teaching on Churchill - while naming other individuals - downgraded his importance.
The move was called "madness" by his grandson Nicholas Soames, the Tory MP.
"It is absurd. I expect he wasn't New Labour enough for them," he said.
Tory spokesman on children Michael Gove added: "Winston Churchill is the towering figure of twentieth century British history.
"His fight against fascism was Britain's finest hour. Our national story can't be told without Churchill at the centre."
Schools are also being told to tear up the timetable of eight lessons a day and introduce classes lasting a few minutes - or several hours - by mixing different subjects together.
Five-minute lessons on spelling, French or German could be "drip-fed" throughout the day.
The architect of the new curriculum, Dr Ken Boston, insisted traditional approaches had been "exhausted".
The slimline regime is being introduced amid concerns that teachers do not have enough time to ensure youngsters master the three Rs.
Gettin' better though!
You mean Hitler really existed?? does this mean the Holocaust was real????
Down the tubes.
"We've tried everything but they just won't learn what we tell them to! So we figure, if we stop teaching altogether, then they'll be as ignorant as us and, um ... what was the question again?"
It always amazes me that so many education "reformers" start from the assumption that no one learned anything before they came on the scene.
“Those who would forget the past, are doomed to repeat it”
More madness!
Healthy Eating?
I like the Churchill diet—
two bottles of champagne and one of brandy
every day.
Of course. He still exists, only he goes by the name Bush now. Don't you read DU?
Seriously, everywhere you go, if the government is involved in schooling, the education sucks unless you are looking for socialist indoctrination and pop culture trivia.
Good post.
[Don't really need this '/sarc' do I?]
You didn't mess with this man. Britian would do well to remember him every chance they get.
And several cigars. Lived until 95, too.
Where are the parents? I would raise hell!!
Good post, thanks.
Britain is turning into one big swirlee... Sad.
LLS
Took me a second, but I got it!
It’s 1984 all over again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.