Plea for Labour to make science lessons 'less western' blasted as 'ludicrous proposal from the wokerati'

31 December 2024, 14:45

Labour has been urged to make science lessons in schools less “western” as it presses ahead with plans to refresh the country’s “outdated” curriculum.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s full set of recommendations for the national curriculum is set to be published in late 2025.

She launched a review shortly after Labour’s general election win in July to refresh what she has called an outdated curriculum. 

The terms of reference state that this review must reflect the “issues and diversities of our society”. 

Now, leading science bodies including the Royal Society of Biology, have pointed to the importance of children learning about “non-Western” contributions to science.

The society has recommended a “no more heroes” approach which does not use “prescriptive lists of historic figures in biology”, favouring “diverse historic and contemporary figures”.

Read more: Children in ‘floods of tears’ after ‘woke’ chocolate brand leaves day in advent calendar empty

Read more: Parents of classroom troublemakers should have to help schools crack down on bad behaviour, report finds

It has teamed up with the Association for Science Education as part of a group that made recommendations which have been submitted for Labour's review.Some critics have blasted the proposals as “woke”.

Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader, said the plans were “a ludicrous proposal from the wokerati”.He added: “We need more historic British heroes and achievements to be taught to our children, not less.”

Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, has also hit out at the plans.

She told The Telegraph: “Instead of spending time fiddling with our academic curriculum, which has led to English children being the best at maths and English in the Western world, the DfE needs to concentrate on getting absence rates down and kids back in the classroom.”

Professor Becky Francis is leading the government’s review of the curriculum. She said in July: “Ensuring all young people access a rich and fulfilling curriculum and meaningful qualifications is core to supporting them to thrive at school and later in life.  

“It’s a real privilege to lead this important review, which has huge potential to build a cutting-edge curriculum that works for pupils and teachers alike.“

Currently, not all schools currently have to follow the curriculum, but Labour have pledged to make all state schools follow the national curriculum.

In an interview with LBC, the education secretary said that reform is also needed in British universities, saying fee hikes are necessary to secure the future of universities. 

Ms Phillipson told Tonight with Andrew Marr that raising tuition fees “was a difficult decision to take,” but that it was necessary to put universities on a more sustainable footing.

She said the changes, in line with inflation were needed to secure universities' financial future. Maintenance loans for students will also increase.

Ms Phillipson continued: “Because the fee hasn't increased for such a long time, it's lost its real terms value. So, today doesn't restore that, but it does provide direct investment into universities in order to secure their long term future.

“Because the fee hasn't increased for such a long time, it's lost its real terms value. So, today doesn't restore that, but it does provide direct investment into universities in order to secure their long term future.”