XN000022-1975-05-13 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1975

THE CONSTITUENT SUBJECTS ARE DESIGNED TO INTERACT (RATHER THAN EXIST AS INDEPENDENT ENTITIES) SO THAT PUPILS WILL BE LED TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SUBJECTS.

THE NEW CURRICULUM SHOULD BE THOUGHT OF AS A TARGET TOWARDS WHICH SCHOOLS WILL BE EXPECTED TO MOVE AS QUICKLY AS THEIR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ALLOW IT IS FULLY APPRECIATED THAT SCHOOLS WILL NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE COMMON-CORE CURRICULUM IN FULL THIS COMING SEPTEMBER AND INTERIM MEASURES HAVE THEREFORE BEEN PLANNED TO HELP SCHOOLS BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THEIR PRESENT CURRICULA AND THE TARGET COMMON-CORE CURRICULUM. THESE MEASURES INCLUDE THE ISSUE OF INTERIM SYLLABUSES FOR SUBJECTS OUTSIDE THE TARGET COMMON-CORE CURRICULUM.

THE NEW CURRICULUM IS IN NO WAY INTENDED TO BE RESTRICTIVE: IF SCHOOL AUTHORITIES ARE ABLE TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS IN THEIR CURRICULUM THEY ARE AT LIBERTY TO DO SO.

DETAILED SYLLABUSES HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FOR ALL SUBJECTS OF THE NEW CURRICULUM AND WILL BE ISSUED AS SOON AS PRODUCTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THESE GIVE HELPFUL ADVICE ON TEACHING METHODOLOGY AND SUBJECT ORGANISATION AS WELL AS A SEQUENCE OF TEACHING ITEMS. MEANWHILE, INCLUDED IN THE PAMPHLET JUST ISSUED ARE OUTLINES OF ALL COMMON-CORE SYLLABUSES. DESIGNED TO GIVE TEACHERS A PREVIEW OF THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE COMMON-CORE CURRICULUM, PENDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMPLETE SYLLABUSES.

ALL COMMON-CORE SYLLABUSES WILL DE ISSUED INITIALLY ON A PROVISIONAL DASIS - 1.E. THEY WILL BE SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION DURING A TRIAL PERIOD (BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER) DURING WHICH AN INTENSIVE PROCESS OF EVALUATION WILL TAKE PLACE.

THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL ESTABLISH CLOSE LINKS WITH SCHOOLS USING THE NEW SYLLABUSES: THIS COLLABORATION WILL INCLUDE IN-SERVICE COURSES OF TRAINING FOR TEACHERS, REGULAR VISITS TO THE SCHOOLS CONCERNED, DISCUSSION MEETINGS AND PROVISION OF ADVISORY SERVICES.

THE PAMPHLET GIVES ADVICE ON THE USE OF TEXTBOoks and INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL DURING THE TRIAL PERIOD, NO MAJOR DIFFICULTIES ARE ANTICIPATED BUT INSPECTORATE ADVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS REQUIRING IT. STEPS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO LIAISE WITH EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE COMMON-CORE CURRICULUM. MEANWHILE, SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO CHANGE EXISTING TEXTBOOKS IN SEPTEMBER SOLELY ON THE GROUNDS THAT NEW SYLLABUSES ARE TO DE ISSUED.

/FOR THE BENEFIT ...