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2008-12-08 05:43:23
Primary school pupils in England should be taught how to lead happy and healthy lives as part of a curriculum overhaul, says a government-commissioned report.
The report also says individual subjects should be replaced by six themed "areas of learning".
The report by former senior Ofsted inspector Sir Jim Rose suggests lessons should be more focused on preparing children for life outside school.
It also calls for more advanced technology lessons for some pupils.
Responsible citizens
Sir Jim was asked by the government to carry out a "root-and-branch" review of what is taught in primary schools.
His interim report says teaching children about emotional well-being and social skills should be a compulsory part of the curriculum.
It says that pupils should have the "personal, social and emotional qualities essential to their health, well-being and life as a responsible citizen in the 21st Century".
The report, which is seeking a more flexible approach to learning, emphasises the importance of play in children's development.
As well as making more room for lessons in well-being, computer skills and modern languages, the review also looks at how more space can be made within the timetable.
It suggests that there could be six broader "areas of learning", rather than up to 14 individual subjects, such as history, geography and science.
These six areas would be: understanding English, communication and languages; mathematical understanding; scientific and technological understanding; human, social and environmental understanding; understanding physical health and well-being; understanding the arts and design.
But Sir Jim stressed that these new subject areas were not about destroying the content of individual subjects.
He told the BBC: "High quality subject teaching must not disappear from primary schools, neither should the benefits to children of well-planned cross curricular studies.
"What we are trying to do here is teach the knowledge and skills that children need and ensure they have lots of opportunities to to use this knowledge and those skills to develop their understanding and the links between subjects."
Sir Jim also argues that the primary curriculum needs to reflect changes in children's experiences and it should recognise that many young children have developed computer skills in their own homes.
Primary podcasts
He says the level of lessons in information, communication and technology (ICT) currently taught in secondary schools should now be taught to primary-age pupils.
Such technology skills should also be used in other lessons, recommends Sir Jim.
This could include using the internet for research, word-processing work and making podcasts.
"Good primary teaching deepens and widens children's understanding by firing their imagination and interest in learning. One highly promising route to meeting the demand for in-depth teaching and learning is undoubtedly emerging through ICT," says Sir Jim.
"The primary curriculum needs to be forward-looking.
"Advances in technology and the internet revolution are driving a pace of change which we could not have imagined when the national curriculum was introduced 20 years ago."
Sir Jim's review also recommends that summer-born children should be able to begin school part-time if that is what their parents want - a detail already released over the weekend.
In some areas they begin school a term later than their winter born counterparts.
This is in response to concerns that children born in July and August can be disadvantaged by starting school before they are ready.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said the report "gives us an insight into what changes we can make to improve the curriculum and move with the times".
He added: "Parents of our generation probably don't realise, for example, how fast children are picking up computer skills today.
"We need 21st Century schools which make the most of the opportunities technology offers our computer-savvy youngsters."
The final report of the review will be published in spring 2009, with any recommendations accepted by the government to be introduced from September 2011.
Acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers Christine Blower said: "I think primary schools and Sir Jim Rose have to be a little bit careful about elevating ICT to the level of literacy, numeracy and personal health.
"In terms of helping to learn reading and writing skills, it can help, but they are not skills you can over-compensate for."
Nasuwt general secretary Chris Keates welcomed the review's holistic approach.
"The proposal for a more flexible approach to the curriculum will be welcomed in principle by teachers.
"However, it is unlikely that the benefits of this will be felt while the straight-jacket imposed on schools by performance league tables remains. The Rose Review presents an opportunity to remove this outdated, divisive method of school accountability."
Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said Sir Jim said the changes could lead to the loss of structure and content of individual subjects.