Youth organisations including the Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh Award and the National Union of Students have launched their own curriculum and assessment review to shadow the government’s.
Organised by climate action charity OVO Foundation, the youth-led review is “essential to the legitimacy of the government’s review” according to its chair, the National Union of Students president Amira Campbell.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson appointed Professor Becky Francis to lead a curriculum and assessment review shortly after the July general election.
A call for evidence was launched in September and closes this Friday, and Francis has been touring the country hosting roadshow events seeking views on the most needed changes in curriculum and assessment for children and young people up to age 19.
Twelve young people will be appointed as panellists for the shadow review, which has been launched in part because the call for evidence and roadshows have not been accessible to students.
UK Youth, SOS-UK, Young Citizens and the National Youth Agency are also signed up.
Campbell said: “Students know firsthand what does and doesn’t work in the current curriculum.
“We know that meaningful inclusion of youth voice is essential to the quality and legitimacy of the government’s review, and this shadow review is the perfect avenue to lay out students’ and young people’s visions of what a truly liberated, inclusive and innovative curriculum could and should look like.”
Organisers said the shadow review will run its own set of roadshows and calls for evidence, and aims to publish an interim and final report ahead of Francis.
An interim report from Francis is expected in early 2025 with a final report due in autumn 2025.
Student volunteer Enfys said: “Our shadow review will demonstrate the range of issues that young people care about and how this could be better reflected in the curriculum and in how we are assessed.
“I don’t feel that the curriculum reflects the fact that young people are growing up in a world shaped by the climate emergency and ecological crisis. This is an exciting opportunity to change our education, and we are ready to share our views with the DfE.”
The government’s review panel, led by Francis has two college principals but no young people.
Francis told the Association of Colleges annual conference last week that she “wanted to avoid the sort of tokenism of putting a single young person on the panel to reflect all young people, which is, of course, impossible”.
Curriculum issues
Phillipson tasked Francis with coming up with recommendations that could improve outcomes for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, without overloading education staff.
The government said at the time: “The review will look at ensuring all young people aged 16 to 19 have access to rigorous and high-value qualifications and training that will give them the skills they need to seize opportunity as well as ensuring they are ready for the changing workplace.”
Principals Lisa O’Loughlin, from Nelson and Colne College, and John Laramy, from Exeter College, are members of the panel alongside Francis.
Francis is expected to make a recommendations on the future of the government’s controversial GCSE English and maths resits policy and on the “complex” landscape of education pathways for young people at levels 2 and 3.
But Francis told the Association of Colleges annual conference last week that a “stretched” workforce is among “capacity issues” in further education that will limit her final recommendations.
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