Children, Schools and Families written question – answered at on 26 July 2007.
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
(1) what international research evidence demonstrates that the new curriculum is the key to growth in educational performance as referred to by the Chief Executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in his recent speech on the curriculum;
(2) pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2007, Official Report, column 333W, on secondary education: curriculum, which countries were identified by the international comparisons carried out by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as having adopted an approach to the curriculum similar to that adopted in the new secondary curriculum;
(3) pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2007, Official Report, column 333W, on secondary education: curriculum, if he will place in the Library the results of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's international comparisons on curriculum in relation to the secondary curriculum review.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority uses the International Review of Curriculum and Assessment frameworks Internet Archive (INCA), which it funds, in order to make its international comparisons. This provides descriptions of government policy on education in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Wales.
Many countries included in the INCA review have chosen a National Curriculum which minimises the amount of prescription and maximises flexibility for teachers. These include, for example, Finland, which frequently performs best in international comparisons of educational performance.
A summary of international curriculum comparisons, made at the time of the review, where applicable, will be placed in the Library of the House.
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