Priorities for primary education? From subjects to life-skills and children's social and emotional development

Abstract

To what needs and purposes should the primary curriculum be chiefly directed in the coming decades? In a first step towards revising the primary curriculum, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) invited responses to an open online call to ‘have your say’ on priorities for primary education. Respondents were asked to share their views in 100 words or less. Six priorities for primary education were identified across the 960 responses. These focused on developing children's life-skills; communication skills; well-being; literacy and numeracy skills; motivation and engagement; and their sense of identity and belonging. Across the priorities, there is recognition that skills learned in the primary years are related to one another and the extent to which children develop these is likely to have wide-ranging effects on their future experience as learners. Findings call for a revision of traditional, content-based curriculum subjects towards a better alignment with the needs of today's primary school children beginning with a more explicit focus on life-skills, and children's social and emotional development. Finally, we note the common ground across early childhood, primary and post-primary sectors and highlight the potential to align our values and vision for children and young people's education from the earliest years through adulthood.

Keywords:

• primary curriculum
• well-being
• dispositions
• skills
• social and emotional development

Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank respondents to the open invitation to ‘have your say’ on priorities for primary education. We also wish to thank Dr Anne Looney (CEO, NCCA), NCCA colleagues, and members of Council and its committees for their feedback on drafts of the full report (NCCA 2012).

Notes on contributors

Dr. Sarah FitzPatrick is Deputy CEO, NCCA where she leads developments in early childhood and primary education. Sarah completed masters and doctoral studies in the US and before joining the NCCA in 2002, held positions as a primary and middle-school teacher, lecturer, educational technology consultant, researcher and professional development leader. Sarah is particularly interested in education policy, pedagogy, and processes of representation and engagement.

Mairéad Twohig is Principal of St. Mary's Senior School Dunmanway, Co. Cork. Following completion of her masters studies in the US, Mairéad, worked with the Primary Professional Development Service (PDST) where she held the position of Deputy Director. Mairéad's educational interests include special education and pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning with a particular focus on literacy.

Dr Mark Morgan is Cregan Professor of Education and Psychology at St. Patrick's College, and acting co-director of Growing Up in Ireland. He has been Head of Education and Dean of Education at St Patrick's college. His research has mainly been in areas of motivation, literacy, evaluation of prevention programmes, and educational disadvantage. More recently, his research has focused on the job satisfaction and resilience of beginning teachers.

Notes

1. Schooling for Tomorrow, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/centreforeducationalresearchandinnovationceri-schoolingfortomorrow.htm