Government’s “refresh” of the national curriculum risks “baking in” Conservative reforms, conference told
MIchael Gove during his time as Education Secretary. Image: Alamy.
Lack of a detailed consideration of what the curriculum is for means the "objectives" of Michael Gove's 2014 document stand to be retained, warns senior NEU campaigns manager.
The government’s review of England’s national curriculum and assessment risks “baking-in” Conservative reforms of more than a decade ago under Michael Gove, a conference heard yesterday.
Matija Tomanovic, campaigns manager at the National Education Union, warned that the union was concerned that the review, whose final report is expected next month, would fail to bring about a much-needed break from the past because it was not asking fundamental questions such as what the curriculum is for.
He was speaking at an event, at Goldsmiths, University of London, at which criticisms of the impact of standardised teaching approaches in schools were extensively discussed.
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By Warwick Mansell for EDUCATION UNCOVERED
Published: 25 September 2025
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2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Labour PM Jim Callaghan's Ruskin speech, which arguably was the start of the slippery slope to the marketised, standardised, over-regulated 'education' system we have today. I live in hope rather than expectation that next year another Labour PM will announce a radical departure from the current Goveian nonsense which is stifling creativity and imagination among teachers and pupils.