A curricular scandal: the government’s interim curriculum review risks our children’s futures.
Responding to today’s interim curriculum review, Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK, said:
“The latest curriculum review report is perilously close to violating a crucial promise made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2023 to prioritise speaking skills within the national curriculum.
“It glaringly fails to address children’s skills in talking, language, or communication, which were explicitly prioritized in the Terms of Reference.”
“This oversight threatens our national progress and erodes the public’s trust in government, further straining relationships between government, educators and families.”
“With the number of children facing speech and language challenges soaring from 1.4 million in 2021 to nearly two million today, and with parents calling for increased focus on communication skills, it’s clear that these critical concerns are being ignored.”
“It’s also worrying to learn the lead body overseeing the review acknowledges spoken language as a top catalyst for enhancing learning, yet then overlooks this vital element.”
“We call on the Department for Education and all stakeholders involved to address this failure urgently. Ignoring this need jeopardises the educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs, setting them up for failure—a risk our society cannot afford.”
“The review must correct its course and fulfil the government’s promise to our children to avoid what is currently a potential catastrophe for our future generations.”
Notes to Editor:
Spokespeople are available for interview. For more information or contact Peter Simpson, Media and Publicity Manager, Speech and Language UK:
Email: peter.simpson@speechandlanguage.org.uk
Phone: 0207 843 2557
Mobile: 07803 051 848
About Speech and Language UK
For at least 1.9 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feels like an impossible hurdle. We work to give every child the skills they need to face the future with confidence.
We design innovative tools and training for thousands of nursery assistants and teachers to use in their classrooms. We run two special schools for children with complex speech and language challenges, Dawn House in Nottinghamshire and Meath in Surrey. We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. And we put pressure on politicians to prioritise help for speech and language challenges.
We demand a country in which every child with challenges in talking and understanding words has the skills they need to face the future with confidence.
Together we can achieve this.
