Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Paragraph: 38
All children should be able to see themselves in what they learn from an early...
Conclusion
All children should be able to see themselves in what they learn from an early age. The national curriculum and exam subject specifications should be kept under review and updated where it is appropriate to the context to include more diverse examples, such as female scientists.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states that it funds a network of 29 Science Learning Partnerships that provide CPD to teachers and technicians to improve subject knowledge and pedagogy.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
38
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
70. Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the National Curriculum. Academies and Free Schools have greater freedom and autonomy, particularly in areas such as the curriculum, but they are expected to teach a curriculum that is comparable in breadth and ambition to the National Curriculum, and many choose to teach the full National Curriculum to achieve this. This Government believes that autonomous schools, within a robust framework of accountability, are the best vehicle to support teachers and head teachers to improve pupil outcomes. 71. The National Curriculum helps to foster knowledge and mastery in each subject, including STEM subjects, while also ensuring more pupils can overcome barriers created by disadvantage. The National Curriculum focuses on the core knowledge that should be taught to pupils, and does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices regarding what they teach. Therefore, teachers are free to include more examples of female scientists should they deem it to be beneficial for their pupils and we support them to do so. 72. There are no plans to change the National Curriculum in this Parliament and no plans to reform the qualifications.
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