“The Curriculum for today’s fifteen to eighteen year olds is inappropriate for the present day young person.” Discuss.
The curriculum in today’s schools has survived relatively unchanged for many years. It was created in a completely different world, one where computers were not used and jobs for the uneducated were easy to find. The world has changed significantly since then, but should the education system?
The job market is a competitive one, and an extra qualification can make all the difference. One qualification that is needed for nearly every position is that of Information and Communication Technology, in other words, computers. Computers are used for many purposes in nearly every company, for example, spreadsheets in finance, databases in stock keeping and desktop publishing in advertising. The skill needed to control the software and hardware is highly desirable, but the current curriculum in high schools does not reflect this. ICT was only introduced into the curriculum several years ago, and has been taught as a minor subject, comparable to the likes of Art and Music. Throughout high school, each school only has to complete one hour of ICT per week, although it can be taken optionally as a GCSE subject, or as a GNVQ. A large number do not opt for the latter options, which leaves them with a qualification equal to half a single GCSE. I do not believe that the curriculum’s compulsory ICT lessons are sufficient now that more and more jobs are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. I personally think that ICT provision should be increased to three hours a week, making it on level with the main academic subjects of English, Maths and Science. This will enable pupils to study a wider range of software, and complete more theory work, which is an aspect currently neglected. These extra skills will be beneficial in the workplace. I am aware that to cope with the extra number of ICT lessons, more computers would be needed, and spaces to put them, but even with this extra expenditure, the benefits of having a full ICT qualification would be well worth it.