ABSTRACT
Exonerating themselves from any responsibility for the state of affairs, they have at different times sought to place the blame on poor teaching, weak assessments, or a curriculum lacking depth and rigour. Kenneth Baker rejected the integrated approach, disbanded the committee, and left National Curriculum officials to complete the report which was sent to the Secretary of State with only three committee members being reluctantly allowed a preview. A further move was to set up an alternative review under an ex-Chief Primary Inspector, Jim Rose, to conduct an independent analysis of the primary curriculum which would modernise it for use by pupils in the twenty-first century. The curriculum should also find a place for citizenship, social and health education, but their contributions should be left to local decision making rather than be included in the framework. Historical, geographical and social elements were to be combined under one area as was physical development, health and wellbeing, the remaining area being the arts.
