THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1978
+COMMON CORE+ CONCEPT IN CURRICULUM PLANNING
******
THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS RECOMMENDED A +COMMON CORE+ FOR EACH SUBJECT IN ORDER TO CATER FOR A WIDER RANGE OF ABILITIES WITH THE
INTRODUCTION OF UNIVERSAL JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, MR, KEN TOPLEY, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID TODAY (THURSDAY)
THIS COMMON CORE CONCEPT MEANT THE WORKING OUT OF BASIC PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS WITHIN THE REACH OF PUPILS OF ALL ABILITIES, WHILE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR THE MORE ABLE PUPILS, HE ADDED.
MR. TOPLEY WAS SPEAKING AT THE SEMINAR OF HEADS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS HELD AT THE NORTHCOTE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION TO DISCUSS THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM,
HE DESCRIBED THE SEMINAR AS A MEANS OF +PROVIDING IMPORTANT FEEDBACK OF VALUABLE DATA FOR FUTURE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. THUS PROMOTING BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND SCHOOLS ON CURRICULUM MATTERS.+
IN RECENT YEARS THE NEED HAD BEEN RECOGNISED FOR A BROADER CURRICULUM WITH MORE EMPHASIS ON PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A MODERN AND INCREASINGLY TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY, MR. TOPLEY SAID.
THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE NEW SUBJECTS MEANT THAT TEACHERS NOW NEEDED TO SPEND MORE TIME IN PLANNING AND DISCUSSING SYLLABUS CONTENT AND APPROACHES.
MR. TOPLEY NEXT TURNED TO THE PROBLEM OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND HOW THE SCHOOL HEADS COULD MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE COMPETENCE AND PROFESSIONAL SELF-ESTEEM OF TEACHERS.
HE SUGGESTED THAT TEACHERS BE GIVEN EVERY ENCOURAGEMENT TO VISIT OTHER SCHOOLS FOR OBSERVATION AND EXCHANGE OF VIEWS, TO PARTICIPATE IN WORKING COMMITTEES, TO RUN SCHOOL-BASED COURSES AND WORKSHOPS, AND TO DEVELOP NEW TEACHING MATERIALS AS A TEAM WITHIN THE SCHOOL OR WITH TEACHERS OF OTHER SCHOOLS.
HEADS OF SCHOOLS WERE URGED TO ENCOURAGE TEACHERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED IN-SERVICE COURSES TO APPLY WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED WITHIN THE SCHOOL. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE REGULAR COUNSELLING+ INTERVIEWS WITH STAFF TO DISCUSS THEIR WORK AND ASPIRATIONS.
WITH REGARD TO CURRICULUM INNOVATION, MR. TOPLEY RECOGNISED THAT THE HEADS WHEN DECIDING ON CHANGES HAD TO DO SO ON THE BASIS OF WHAT THEY CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE TO THEIR OWN SCHOOL.
+CARE IS NEEDED NOT TO OVERTAX OUR STUDENTS AND CREATE AN IMBALANCE IN THE CURRICULUM BY MERELY ADDING WITHOUT SUBSEQUENTLY DELETING THE LESS RELEVANT CONTENT FROM THE CURRICULUM, HE SAID.
/IT WAS.....