Amanda Martin, Labour’s MP for Portsmouth North, has today welcomed sweeping reforms to the national curriculum, designed to equip every child with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in modern Britain.
- Labour’s reforms to update the national curriculum will enable young people across Portsmouth to seize opportunities so they can achieve and thrive in the modern world, including navigating the threat of fake news and online disinformation
- High standards for every child with strong foundations in oracy, reading, writing and maths especially in primary and the “lost years” at the start of secondary
- Revitalised curriculum delivers on promise in Labour manifesto and is central to the Prime Minister’s target of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning by age 25
After over a decade of Conservative neglect, during which young people were left unsupported without the essential qualifications or the skills needed to get on in life, Labour is taking action to raise standards and restore opportunity for every child.
Responding to the Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Becky Francis, the government will overhaul the curriculum to ensure strong foundations in reading, writing, maths and oracy – especially in primary and the “lost years” at the start of secondary school.
For the first time, children will be taught how to spot fake news and online disinformation, alongside financial literacy and civic education, preparing them for life in a fast-changing world.
Alongside academic reforms, the government is also setting out a new core enrichment entitlement, so that every child – wherever they go to school – has access to sport, the arts and more.
The reforms deliver on Labour’s manifesto promise and are central to the Prime Minister’s target of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning by age 25.
They also come alongside a suite of measures introduced as part of this Labour government’s Plan for Change to ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve, regardless of where they come from, and to provide more practical support for families.
With the delivery of 30 hours of free childcare, free breakfast clubs saving parents £450 a year, a cap on branded uniform items and £1.4 billion to fix the inherited state of crumbling classrooms, this Labour government is building a better future for our children and their families.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:
“It has been over a decade since the national curriculum was updated, and it’s more crucial than ever that young people are equipped to face the challenges of today, so they can seize the exciting opportunities that life has to offer.
“The path to our country’s renewal runs through our schools: they must be an epicentre of the strongest possible foundations of knowledge, and the skills to excel in the modern world.
“From the fundamentals of reading to the present danger of spotting fake news, as part of our Plan for Change, these landmark reforms will help young people step boldly into the future, with the knowledge to achieve and the skills to thrive as the world around us continues to rapidly evolve.”
Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, said:
“For over ten years, the Tories left young people unsupported, without the essential qualifications or the skills needed to get on in life, and in that time, the world has changed beyond recognition. The curriculum hasn’t been reviewed in a decade, and our children have been left learning in the past while life moved on.
“Labour’s reforms will give every child in Portsmouth North the confidence to think critically, stay safe online with strong cyber and media literacy, build financial skills for life, and seize the opportunities of the future. This government is putting our children first and putting ambition back at the heart of our education system, including ensuring pupils learn about our rich local history and the role Portsmouth has played in shaping our country.
“I am proud to back these reforms, which will ensure every child has the chance to succeed in life, irrespective of their background.”
