One would think that World History in Y6 would be, if not the same, similar across Europe yet that, I have discovered, is not the case. Not having any recollection of what was studied when I attended Y6, I read through the National Curriculum requirements at KS2 and found that they are different from those I found in the Italian Indicatori Nazionali (National Guidelines).
For a start, in Italy, with there no longer being an official National Curriculum, it is the publishing companies which generally dictate the course outlines for all levels of schooling, from Primary to Upper-secondary. The contents of the books are frequently edited, most often simplified, based on the book used in the past. Schools and teachers then base course outlines on the contents of these books rather than what should really be attained at the different levels of schooling. More often than not, families receive feedback from school in which they are told that their children are ‘behind schedule’ with their studies. This does not necessarily mean that the student is ‘not at standard/ required level’ but that not enough pages, or topics, have been covered to that point of the year in that particular subject. There seems to be no sense of Curriculum Design hence the teachers are not able to pace the course contents.
In the British system there is a sense of continuity and progression, cross-curricula referencing, a general idea of collaboration which, up until now, I felt has been missing. Students at both Esami di Stato, secondaria di primo grado and secondaria di secondo grado, the National exams taken at the end of Y9 and of Y14, are then expected to be up-to-speed with the ‘programmes’ as their exams will be based on them as well as being able to make cross-curricula connections – something they are likely to never have done.
Things appear to be changing, albeit slowly. I have faith in the teachers of tomorrow here in Italy.
Disclaimer: This is not an attack on publishers but more how teachers prefer using published materials to designing their course outline (in Italy).
ramblingsofanelteacher 