Sir Paul Smith on the importance of design – and D&T Education

Sir Jonathan Ive

Congratulations to Sir Jonathan Ive who was knighted in the 2012 New Year honours list. Jonathan comes for a strong design and technology background, studied design at the University of Northumbria and famously took his skills to Apple where he is now senior vice president of industrial design. Successfully redesigning the iMac in the early 1990s Jonathan has since been responsible for creating products which have won a huge range of awards, including the iPod, iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air. His knighthood is awarded for services to design and enterprise.

Report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review (DfE, December 2011)

Yesterday (19th December 2011) the DfE published the report by the Expert Panel on the National Curriculum review. The links to the report and the associated papers are below.

The Design and Technology Association is extremely disappointed that the Expert Panel has recommended D&T (along with ICT and Citizenship) is downgraded from a statutory National Curriculum subject to a compulsory subject as part of the ‘Basic Curriculum’ with schools free to determine, “appropriate specific content.”

Throughout the call for evidence, and as part of the ‘Believe in D&T’ campaign, the Association has stressed the important contribution D&T can and must make to the education of all pupils and, in particular, its ability to inspire children to follow careers in the important wealth creating sectors of business and industry. Richard Green, Chief Executive of the Design and Technology Association, said, “Throughout the review there has been an exceptionally high level of support for D&T. D&T received nearly 20% more responses than the next highest subject in the call for evidence and just under 80% of these stated that the subject should remain in the National Curriculum. On this evidence D&T has to remain a National Curriculum subject along with those subjects which have been retained but which have much lower response numbers, and lower supporting percentages.” In addition, the Campaign website has nearly 11,000 signatures supporting the retention of the subject in the National Curriculum.

However, it is important to remember that this report is not statutory. The Government will be publishing its response to it in the New Year and this will be followed by a period of statutory consultation. It is vital that everyone who has responded to the review so far, along with others, takes part in this consultation. The D&T Association will continue to lead and co-ordinate this process. We are continuing our ‘Believe in D&T’ campaign and will gather and submit additional evidence as well as working with the creative, manufacturing and engineering industries to demonstrate the damage that will be done to pupils’ education and to the future economic prospects of the UK if D&T were to be marginalised in this way.

Until any of these potential changes become law (which will be September 2014 at the earliest) then the current requirements remain in force - D&T is a statutory National Curriculum subject which has to be taught to all pupils from 5 to 14.

We will keep members updated on developments and provide advice on the consultation process through this website and via D&T Stream.

For more information on the ‘Believe in D&T’ campaign
Web: www.believeindandt.org.uk
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web links to the Expert Panel report
For full details, and to read the Secretary of State’s Statement to Parliament, click here

The specific links are:

The Framework for the National Curriculum: A report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review: click here

Review of the National Curriculum in England: What can we learn from the English, mathematics and science curricula of high-performing jurisdictions? click here

Review of the National Curriculum in England: Report on subject breadth in international jurisdictions click here

Review of the National Curriculum in England: Summary report of the call for evidence click here

The National Curriculum review website link is: click here

The DfE have said,
“Yesterday the Secretary of State for Education published a suite of documents summarising the findings to date of the review of the National Curriculum in England.
This suite includes:

• The report of the review's Expert Panel, setting out their recommendations in relation to the framework for the new National Curriculum;
• A summary of the evidence gathered about curricula for English, mathematics and science in high performing jurisdictions;
• A research report that looks at subject breadth in the curricula used in other education jurisdictions; and
• A summary report of the responses to the review's Call for Evidence.

Having considered the evidence presented in these documents, the very important issues that they raise, and the need to address these issues in order to create a world class National Curriculum, the Secretary of State has concluded that it is essential that the review takes more time for consideration and discussion with stakeholders.

That is why the Secretary of State has also announced this morning his decision to revise the timetable that the review will follow. The key effect of this revision is that the new Programmes of Study for English, mathematics, science and physical education will now be required to be taught in maintained schools from September 2014 rather than September 2013. This will mean that new Programmes of Study for all subjects that will be part of the National Curriculum in future will now be introduced together from 2014.

Crafting capital: new technologies new economies

This is a new publication from the Crafts Council exploring the links between making and STEM. Some good case studies on the website and you can download the full report here. 

2011 Prince Philip Designers Prize
Quentin Blake one of Britain's best loved illustrators won the 2011 Prince Philip Designers Prize

This is the final year that HRH The Duke of Edinburgh will deliver the Prize. Having headed up the judging panel and presented the Prize since its inception in 1959, he will be stepping down from the Prize as he reduces his work-load and royal responsibilities in his 90th year. David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council, commented: No-one can be in any doubt of the extraordinary dedication to promoting and celebrating design which has been shown by His Royal Highness during more than half a century of expert and insightful leadership of the Prince Philip Designers Prize. This years winner and nominees likewise demonstrate a dedication to creative excellence, but they are also exemplars of the international commercial success which springs from that creativity. Now more than ever, we must celebrate our world-leading designers, innovators and creatives, and their vital contribution to our economic future.
The shortlist for the 2011 prize encompassed one of the widest ranges of design disciplines in the Prizes history, from museums and gallery designers to millinery for Kylie Minogue and hydraulic ankles. Sir Paul Smith and milliner Stephen Jones joined the line-up, whilst architecture was also well represented with internationally respected names such as Wilkinson Eyre and Sir David Chipperfield being nominated for their huge contribution, alongside giants of digital, sustainable and strategic design.

Lord Browne speaks up for D&T

Interviewed about The Queen Elizabeth Engineering Prize on the Today programme on Thursday 17th November Lord Browne, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, was asked his views about the danger of losing D&T from the statutory curriculum. Hear his positive response at 2.52 minutes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9641000/9641388.stm

Designing the future of Urban humanity at the iq2 If Conference – 25-26 Nov.

Find out more about the iq2 If Conference:

Watch preview interviews with most of the speakers on our YouTube channel. 
Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to be kept up to date with the latest announcements
Some tickets available with the academic discount. The code IQ2IFACAD deducts 40% off all ticket types and should be entered in the box on the ticket buying page. Limited places available. For the schedule see here. For speakers see here. To buy tickets see here.