Prime Highlights:
- England will teach children money management, mortgages, and how to spot fake news, including AI-generated content, under a major curriculum update.
- The reforms also introduce citizenship education, climate change, diversity, and a greater focus on data science and AI for students over 16.
Key Facts:
- The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) will be scrapped, and Progress 8 reformed to allow students to take a wider variety of GCSE subjects, including arts and music.
- Schools will have four terms’ notice before the rollout, and the curriculum aims to address learning gaps, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
Background
England will soon teach children how to manage money, understand mortgages, and identify fake news, including AI-generated content, as part of a significant revision of the national curriculum.
The government announced the changes after reviewing the curriculum for the first time in over ten years to modernize education and prepare students for real-world challenges. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the goal was to “revitalise” learning while keeping strong foundations in English, maths, and reading.
The review’s recommendations include teaching financial literacy through maths lessons, adding citizenship education in primary schools, and introducing new content on climate change and diversity. Schools will focus more on data science and AI for students over 16. They will also shorten GCSE exams and ensure that all pupils can take three science GCSEs.
The government will also scrap the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which was used to rank schools based on core subjects. The Department for Education said the EBacc had become “constraining” and that removing it, along with reforming Progress 8, would encourage students to take a wider variety of GCSE subjects such as arts and music.
Experts have welcomed the reforms but warned they will need adequate funding and teachers. Professor Becky Francis, who led the review, said the changes aim for “evolution, not revolution,” and are meant to address learning gaps, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
The new curriculum is expected to be rolled out after four terms’ notice, giving schools time to prepare.
