NPFS online discussion: Day 2 – Curriculum for Excellence
It’s day two of the National Parent Forum of Scotland’s online discussion and today’s question asks for your thoughts about the impact of Curriculum for Excellence.
Day 2: 2 October
As Curriculum for Excellence becomes the norm in our schools, what changes do you see in your child’s education? Do you see differences in the way they learn? In what they learn? And what they are asked to do with that gained knowledge and skills?
Do you see differences in school life? Is school a place not just to learn reading, writing and pass exams etc but to prepare to be adaptable and flexible, to be able to look after themselves and for the challenges ahead in their lives?
Tell us what you think by submitting your comment below and don’t forget to complete our online poll on Facebook.
Related:
#NPFS12 – Discussion: Day 1 – Parental Engagement.
#NPFS12 – Discussion: Day 3 – Transitions.
#NPFS12 – Discussion: Day 4 – Additional Support for Learning.
#NPFS12 – Discussion: Day 5 – ICT.
Useful links:
Be at the heart of your child’s learning
A quick guide to Curriculum for Excellence
Have your say
Join in the discussion and help us make Scottish Education even better.
This question gets to the very heart of what Curriculum for Excellence is designed to do. Young people coming through school just now in Scotland need different skills and approaches to learning than their parents had to help them deal with the changes and challenges they will face in the future. Schools need to help them develop the knowledge and skills that will help them compete for jobs in global markets and in a fast-changing, technological world. Young people need the opportunity to take more responsibility for, and be involved in, their own learning so that they can become learners throughout their lives, more adaptable to change and new job opportunities. They need to have learning that is more tailored to their individual needs, be given the chance to respond to increased levels of challenge and apply their skills in new contexts. And yes, while exam performance continues to be imoprtant, so too is recognising their wider achievements which is, for example, why the process of profiling and P7 and S3 profiles are so valuable. Parents should be reassured that our best schools are already delivering these experiences for their children and young people.
Kenneth Muir
HM Chief Inspector of Education
Kenneth, fully agree with you, schools who are fully endorsing CfE are getting it right. They are looking at the individual child and seeing what is best for them and delivering that. It might be they are going to achieve a number of highers or that others will get experiences that will lead to very good employment chances. This is how it should be and the sooner it spreads the better.
The profiles at P7 and S3 can only enhance this if it is done properly.
I've noticed many positive developments at my local school. However, parents are still struggling to understand what these changes mean for them. Perhaps this will take time. One problem for parents is the CfE version of 'management speak.' Over the last year teachers have started to communicate in an artificial way – buzz words and phrases (outcome and experiences, successful learners, etc) that sound as if they are lifted from a manual. This is alienating.
I agree with you Jeff…and hope it will settle down. The new language used is strange to parents and it can be very off putting. I can see that things are changing at my children's schools but don't feel I am keeping up with those changes. Last night at the first Parent Consultation Evening I was given a report of my P5 daughter which told me nothing apart from she is a nice, friendly girl who is coping well with things…..(I already knew that much) Parents need at this stage to be told specifics about where their child is and how the teacher knows this. We need to be kept informed about the changes in the system at the relevant time to us and not just when it suits the school to have a meeting…..I am very pleased with what I see happening in the schools but feel that they are leaving me as a parent behind….
We have tons of homework to do so that my daughters understand the basic elements of primary school maths and language. At school they get interesting introductions to subjects with little depth and consolidation. They are having lots of fun in class, but it's a 3R’s slog for the parents at night. I’d rather school worked them hard during the day and the parents were able to do the fun and games in the evening. If this is the CfE, the balance is not yet right.
Thanks for taking time to discuss about the curriculum of excellence. Now it is common in most of the schools, which helps the children a lot to build their skills and become more active. Before it was a robotic study and this has changed the way of learning.