Twitter may join primary curriculum

Former Ofsted chief Sir Jim Rose will present recommendations for revamping the primary curriculum to ministers next month.

His interim report in December said primary age children need a greater understanding of information technology and Sir Jim's proposals may say children should be familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter by the time they go to secondary school.

Under the proposals, schools will no longer be required to teach Victorian history or the Second World War but can still opt to include them, The Guardian reported.

Children will be expected to be able to place historical events which they have studied in date order under the new proposals.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "Sir Jim Rose's report has not been completed let alone published yet - but we are already getting stories about dropping this or removing that from the curriculum.

"The bottom line is that we are working with experts to free up the curriculum in a way that teachers have asked us to do but British history has, and always will be, a core part of education in this country.

"Of course pupils in primary school will learn about major periods including the Romans, the Tudors and the Victorians and will be taught to understand a broad chronology of major events in this country and the wider world."

Ministers will formally respond to Sir Jim's proposals when they are published next month.

Sir Jim has said his aim is to create "a primary curriculum which is challenging and constantly enriches children's understanding, where they can apply knowledge and skills learnt in one subject to better understand another".