Influence of Education's Features on Curriculum Development in the UK

This essay delves into the distinctive features of education today, specifically focusing on knowledge-based education, and its profound impact on curriculum development within the United Kingdom. The essay begins by defining education and knowledge-based learning, highlighting the importance of storing and utilizing information effectively. It then examines the historical context of educational reforms in the UK, including the Education Act of 1944 and subsequent revisions to the national curriculum. The essay explores the influence of political, economic, and social factors on curriculum design, emphasizing the shift towards liberal education and critical thinking. The main body then discusses the impact of various educational secretaries and their reforms, including the introduction of the Children Act 2004 and revisions to the primary school curriculum. The essay concludes by emphasizing the role of education in fostering creativity, social conservation, and the continuous reconstruction of experience, which significantly influences the UK's curriculum development. The essay also references key literature on the topic.

Identify a distinctive feature of education today and
discuss the extent to which it has influenced curriculum
development in the UK.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1. Identification of the feature of education today and its influence on the curriculum
development in UK.....................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Education can be defined as a procedure of facilitating learning, acquiring knowledge,
skills, beliefs and value. The different educational method includes training, coaching, directed
research, storing telling, instruction and discussion. Knowledge based education can be defined
as the method of learning which teachers as well as educational institution applies for providing
students with best learning. Such type of education involves books. The knowledge base
education is crucial as it provides an effective way of storing information for addressing the
specific issues. Key feature of the knowledge based education is that it is geared toward learning
and knowledge creation. There are different types of knowledge which can be gained through
knowledge based education these are propositional, practical and knowledge by acquaintance.
The report have focus on identifying the characteristics of knowledge based education
and its influence on the curriculum development in United Kingdom.
MAIN BODY
1. Identification of the feature of education today and its influence on the curriculum
development in UK
Education can be defined as the procedure of giving or receiving the systematic
instruction. It can also be defined as an act of imparting or acquiring general knowledge in order
to develop the power of reasoning as well as Judgment. Knowledge based education is concept
which is completely based on the nature of knowledge.
After, the post war in Britain there has been significant changes in the reforms in context
of the education. It was the time when the leader of UK that is Churchill has appointed Richard
Butler especially for strengthening the educational system in United Kingdom. Butler with the
purpose of improving the educational system in UK has implemented the Education act which
was key elements in the educational reform that has enabled secondary education to be become
liberal. In the new educational reform the in which age of leaving the school has been increase to
the fifteen years (Rumble and Harry, 2018.). The national curriculum which has been designed
highlights the content ore subjects which teachers are required to be taught to children in schools
of UK. It outlines the subjects which are to be taught to children belonging to the age of five to
sixteen years of age. In context of UK, there has been revision in national curriculum several
times. The main purpose of designing the curriculum is to provide student with high potential to
gain self-realization, academic knowledge. It also intends to assist children in developing

themselves as educated citizens. In addition to this, national curriculum also has been formulated
in order to assist in developing their careers. Curriculum is the term which is utilized by
educationalist for determining the framework which should be followed as well as outcome
which should be accomplished. The national curriculum is highly influenced by different factors
such as political, economic and social variables which assist in determining the development.
Liberal education can be defined as liberating mind. It is the education which provide broad
knowledge for developing wise citizens in the society (Griffin,2018). The knowledge based
education focus on assisting an individual in developing the different skills such as critical
thinking. It also intends to support people in increasing the potential to analyze the opinion of
other people. Knowledge based education enables an individual to become independent thinker.
In context of UK, the main objective of implementing the Education act is to address the
issues as well as enforce the curriculum among different educational institutions in the nation so
that teacher could support as well as prepare children for the future. The curriculum in UK was
further regulated by Kenneth Clark. In 1988, David Blunkett then joined parliament as secretary
of education and employment and further new reforms related to the education has been
introduced in United kingdom. New strategies has been implemented by educational ministry in
order to make sure that basic standards set for education are followed by the educational
institution. In context of United kingdom, ministry has increase the investment and appointed
more number of teachers for teaching students in schools. In addition to this, government in the
nation has made investment on providing the training to teachers so that they could deliver
quality education to children (Hagger and McIntyre,2018.). The main purpose of Charles Cxlark
as an education minister was to promote the health as well being of children therefore, he
introduced Children act 2004. Again in 2006, Ruth Kelly became the secretary of state
educational and skills. Ruth Kelly has implemented the primary framework for particularly for
two subjects these are mathematics as well as literacy. In 2009, again new reform related to the
educational practices has been introduced by Alan Johnson who was the educational secretary.
ED ball who was the education sectary during the 2009 has reviewed the curriculum. After
reviewing the curriculum ED balls has published the Rose report and it was strong decisions
related to bringing changes in the curriculum. The decision to make amendments in curriculum
during 2009 has been taken considering the increase in the number of children suffering from the
disease known as dyslexia. Considering the issue faced by the children suffering from the

dyslexia disease the decision has been taken by educational ministry to bring changes in the
primary school curriculum. In 2010 . Michael Gove became the educational secretary and he has
taken decision to develop completely new curriculum. Because of decision related to developing
the new national curriculum Michael Gove as an educational sectary has to face high level of
criticism. As new curriculum which was designed by the Michael Gove seems to be taking
powers away from the teachers, remove vocational subjects from the curriculum and under
funded education greatly and de-regulated the system to support business interest. The
framework of new curriculum was published during the year 2014. It has been found that during
the last many years, national curriculum is highly influenced by the political parties. The
curriculum has been revised many of the time over years with the motive to support children in
increasing their knowledge as well as skills.
Education is an important process of continuous reconstruction of experience. It is a social
process as it occurs in social environment. Without education no one can have and gain
experience. It has various features that helps an individual to develop in their career. There are
various situations occurs in our daily life which influences an individual life to a great extent.
For removing that type of situations, education play a vital role as it makes a person able to
understand the situations and take appropriate actions. Education helps an individual in their
development in all field. It is the root cause of creativity as it gives new experience and make
them able to create new things. It has another features as it play a crucial role in social
conservation (Reid and et.al., 2018). Every society has its own cultures and rituals which are
required to be maintained and conserved. Education help then to conserve their ethics, beliefs
and languages.
Curriculum development is a dynamic process in education which keep changing
according to the needs of the society. Curriculum development has various stages such as
planning, designing, developing, revising & improving. Education influence this development to
a great extent. Curriculum matters in education because it has potential impacts on students of
UK. The main aim of curriculum development is to ensure that all the students are receiving
coherent learning experience which can develop their personal as well as professional learning.
Education make curriculum development able and fulfil their needs. The main feature of
education today is it is geared towards knowledge creation. In UK it has been estimated about
the total expenditure on educational research is £50-60 million per annum. It means for them

knowledge based and educational today are playing a vast role in developing curriculum. It is an
art that develops the inherent qualities of students in an beautiful manner which fulfil the needs
of curriculum

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Bright, B.P. ed., 2018. Theory and practice in the study of adult education: The epistemological
debate. Routledge.
Clark, C., Dyson, A. and Millward, A., 2018. Towards inclusive schools?. Routledge.
Eggleston, J. ed., 2018. School-based curriculum development in Britain: A collection of case
studies. Routledge.
Goodall, S. ed., 2018. Developing environmental education in the curriculum. Routledge.
Green, A. and et.al., 2016. Embedding evidence based course design principles in curriculum
design in a UK and Egyptian University. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic
Practice. 4(2). pp.46-54.