New curriculum plans may see key lessons dropped

Plans by the government to pare down the national curriculum may mean that schoolchildren are no longer taught right from wrong. An updated version of the curriculum, published for the first time this week, suggests that teachers no longer teach children ' to develop principles for distinguishing between right and wrong' but instead help children develop 'secure values and beliefs'.

Although ministers said that the new curriculum publication was a guideline and had still to go through a consultation period, the response by pressure groups and church leaders was immediate. The Church Of England declared the new guidelines 'alarming' adding; ' We would be very concerned to see any erosion of the fundamental principle of education to provide for the spiritual and moral development of pupils and of society.'

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education agreed, saying: 'Youngsters need to know the difference between right and wrong and to understand the culture in which they live if they are to become successful members of society.'

The new version of the curriculum would also drop lessons on Britain's cultural heritage. It currently states that children should be taught 'through knowledge and understanding of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural heritages of Britain's diverse society'. The references to Britain have now been removed and the booklet merely states that children should 'understand different cultures and traditions and have a strong sense of their own place in the world.'

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