18 years on, some people's thoughts turn to the revision or replacement of the 2002 Education Act. \u00a0This is the act of parliament that still governs all schooling in England and it dates from 5 governments ago (although it has been amended once or twice).<\/p>\n
I have no idea what is in the minds in the DfE, but the approach of Teach the Future is to ask for an over-arching piece of legislation that would keep the 2002 act in place, presumably unamended.<\/p>\n
Others, such as SEEd see changing the act as important. \u00a0What SEEd wants to do is to\u00a0add a clause to section 78 of the act. \u00a0This currently says:<\/p>\n
Section 78<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>General requirements in relation to curriculum<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n (1)\u00a0<\/span>The curriculum for a maintained school or maintained nursery school satisfies the requirements of this section if it is a balanced and broadly based curriculum which\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u2013 (a)\u00a0<\/span>promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u2013 (b)\u00a0<\/span>prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.<\/span><\/p>\n The proposed new clause is:<\/p>\n \u2013 (c) instils an ethos and ability to care for oneself, others and the natural environment, now and in the future.<\/p>\n In some ways, the proposed new clause fits very well with the existing clause [b] in that they are both pretty vacuous. \u00a0But [c] is so\u00a0vague that DfE could stick it in and it would make no difference in that most schools would say \"Doing that already\". \u00a0After all, a bit of PSHE here, an emphasis on empathy there, a litter picking rota, and an annual visit to a\u00a0local care farm and the job would be done. \u00a0Anyway \u2013 and being slightly picky \u2013 whilst you can instil an ethos,\u00a0I don't see how you can do so for an ability.<\/p>\n