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Teaching the past in the United Kingdom's schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Don Henson
Don Henson*
Affiliation:
Council for British Archaeology, 111 Walmgate, York YO1 9WA, England
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Abstract

Contrary to popular opinion, there is no national curriculum in schools in the United Kingdom. Instead, there are four separate curricula for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. These cover education in state-funded schools between the ages of 5 and 16. The curricula in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, whose school and university systems share the same basic framework, are structured in similar ways, use similar jargon and are statutory (they lay down the minimum that has to be taught). The Scottish school and higher education system, however, has always been distinctive. The curriculum in Scotland is structured along very different lines and takes the form of non-statutory guidelines. Differences between the curricula may well increase in future since education is part of the responsibilities being transferred to the new devolved parliament/assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Keywords

archaeologyaimscurriculahistoryschoolsBritain
Type
Special section: Archaeology in education
Information
Antiquity , Volume 74 , Issue 283 , March 2000 , pp. 137 - 141
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2000

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