Victory for common sense as history and geography lessons go back to basics

History and geography lessons are to go back to basics, with children expected to learn about key figures and facts as part of an overhaul of the curriculum.

Education Secretary Michael Gove, who is launching his review today, has pledged to undo Labour’s ‘profound mistakes’ and restore ‘academic rigour’ to the classroom.

He said the curriculum was not fit for purpose after Labour stripped out the need for youngsters to learn any key facts in history, geography, English and music.

Back to basics: Under the last Labour government students were not required to learn basic facts

In 2007, Labour cut key historical figures such as Winston Churchill from a list of figures recommended for teaching to allow teachers more flexibility.

At present, the only historical figures in the entire secondary history curriculum are William Wilberforce, the architect of the abolition of the slave trade, and Olaudah Equiano, a freed slave whose autobiography helped persuade MPs to ban slavery.

Radical reform: Education minister Michael Gove wants to make lessons more demanding

The secondary geography curriculum does not mention a single country apart from the UK or any continents, rivers, oceans, mountains or cities. It does, however, mention the European Union and global warming.

And the secondary music curriculum fails to mention a single composer, musician or piece of music.

At the same time Labour made the curriculum ‘overly prescriptive’, increasing the secondary curriculum to 281 pages, compared with 52 pages in Finland – a country with world leading education standards.

Mr Gove said Labour’s attack on the curriculum had led to England ‘plummeting in international league tables and widening the gap between rich and poor’.

The curriculum would be slimmed down to cover the only ‘essential knowledge’ children need, he added. The Coalition argues that there should be a core knowledge that pupils should have to take their place as ‘educated members of society’.

It means that as well as learning about key historical figures in history lessons, English classes could focus on great British writers like Dickens and Austen.

However teachers’ unions did not welcome the announcement. Chris Keates, of the NASUWT, said: ‘Teachers want another curriculum review like a hole in the head.

‘This is a pointless review when ministers have already determined that children should have a 1950s-style curriculum.

'Last week the coalition Government dismissed a whole raft of current core subjects as unimportant. A review is unlikely to change this prejudiced and elitist view.'

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The fact is, we know that children and young people are successful.

'Some children leave school with qualifications that Michael Gove doesn't recognise, but the fact is, generally speaking, people are very successful.

'What we need is a comprehensive, good local school for every child.'

PHYSICS TEACHERS WITH NO EXPERTISE

Three-quarters of physics teachers do not have a degree in the subject, a report shows.

Labour set unambitious targets for 25 per cent of physics teachers to have a physics degree by 2014.

Yet despite a bid to raise the number of specialist science teachers in secondary schools, the target will not be met, the Commons public accounts committee (PAC) found.

Science labs in many schools are not up to scratch, and are even unsafe, the report reveals.

Despite more youngsters taking science GCSEs in state schools, they are not taught ‘well’. In 30 per cent of schools, they cannot study all three science subjects.

PAC chairman Margaret Hodge said: ‘The picture is far from rosy. Many pupils are still not offered triple science as an option, and those living in areas of high deprivation are most likely to be missing out. There has also been slow progress in increasing the number of specialist physics and maths teachers.’