Woodhead calls time on Sixties
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A further broadside against "progressive" teaching is to be launched today by the Government's chief schools inspector.
Chris Woodhead, in an interview for the BBC Panorama programme, calls for the "burial" of teaching methods devised in the Sixties, which emphasise individual discovery, and a doubling of whole-class teaching.
As further evidence of the damage being done, he will point to a study commissioned by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), which will show how maths and science standards have slipped behind Britain's competitors.
The study, by Professor David Reynolds of Newcastle University, comes on top of worrying evidence about poor literacy in primary schools. Labour has joined the Government in calling for a return to "traditional" methods of teaching as one of the keys to raising achievement.
In today's interview, Mr Woodhead calls for the "burial of a concept of primary education that says ... the innate potential of each child has [merely] to be unlocked".
He calls for more direct, whole-class instruction - which he says accounts for only a quarter of teaching in English primary schools. The proportion, he says, should be nearer 60 per cent. Professor Reynolds' study is expected to point to poor overall performance in maths in English schools, compared to countries like Taiwan, where whole-class teaching is the norm. English school teachers, Mr Woodhead says, must draw the obvious lessons. "I am saying to every primary teacher in the country they must look long and hard at that evidence and come to the professional conclusions that they personally feel are right for their children."
He acknowledges that increasing pressure on primary schools has potential danger, but says the dangers of continuing with low expectations of children's potential are far greater.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments