Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is to be taught to all primary school pupils in Britain, Children’s Secretary Ed Balls has announced.
From 2011 Darwin’s discoveries will be taught during science lessons in a curriculum which will also see children receive compulsory lessons in British history.
It has been included after a Government consultation with the science community, parents and teachers, who said evolution is an important part of science education. It is already taught in secondary schools.
The curriculum now includes a requirement for pupils to “investigate and explain how plants and animals are interdependent and are diverse and adapted to their environment as a result of evolution”.
Pupils should learn about the subject during the later years of their primary education, it says.
The curriculum is contained in a new education Bill that was introduced to Parliament yesterday.
It comes after a review by Sir Jim Rose, which called for urgent reforms to protect primary schools struggling to cope with the overloaded curriculum.
Rather than teach individual subjects, it proposed six new “areas of learning”.
The curriculum also includes a specific requirement for pupils to learn about British history. Ministers said they had chosen to “reinforce” this subject following fears that history would be pushed out under the new areas of learning.
When the draft plans were published earlier this year, Mr Balls insisted that history will remain firmly on the curriculum, following reports that pupils would be taught internet skills, such as how to use Twitter, ahead of historical subjects.
The new curriculum does not specify which areas of British history pupils should study. It means that children will not necessarily learn about the two world wars, the Victorians or Tudors.
Ministers said this had been done to give schools and teachers the freedom to choose what to teach.
The curriculum includes a reference to the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans as an example of what pupils could be taught.
Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said: “We’ve seen that an inspiring and rigorous curriculum can transform failing schools, which is why these plans are based on the very best practice from this country’s top-class teachers.”
By David Burrows
See Also:
One Comment
Fantastic news! It is essential that we value Science in schools and essential that it’s Evolution that’s taught in Science, not religious claptrap masquerading as Science.
Report abuse