CM3 MATHEMATICS 5-16

5.14 Language difficulties are often a barrier to pupils' mathematical progress

PRIMARY EDUCATION - THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS (HMI/DES)

87. The primary schools in which good practice in mathematics was identified included a number with pupils from ethnic minorities. Many of these schools ensured that the mathematics programme reflected the richness of the cultural diversity of the pupils' backgrounds. It was common to find displays showing number sequences with the systems of languages other than English ...

68. It was not only the schools with pupils from ethnic minorities that drew upon mathematical ideas from other cultures. Different notation systems were sometimes studied.... Elsewhere mathematical puzzles and games originating from around the world provided recreation or the stimulus for sustained work in mathematics.

CM4 MUSIC 5-16

Checklist for teachers....

6. Does it cater for pupil differences in terms of age, ability, interest, family and cultural background?

CM5 HOME ECONOMICS 5-16

7. ...Its effective teaching depends on a stated and clearly defined set of aims and objectives having regard to pupils' past social and cultural experience, their abilities, their present stage of development and interest and their future needs.

14. All teaching should take account of the variety of family and cultural backgrounds from which pupils come. In particular the conduct of discussion groups, which may form a valuable teaching strategy, requires careful planning and skilful handling if the debate is to be a real learning experience and not simply the reinforcement of traditional prejudices, most especially where sensitive issues are being considered. The consideration of the cultural diversity in clothing, food, beliefs and social customs in informed discussion may go some way in securing sympathetic understanding of and respect for ethnic and religious minority groups.

CM6 HEALTH EDUCATION 5-16

14. ...all schools have a statutory duty to include in their published information a statement of the manner and context in which education about sexual matters is given

15. ...Particular sensitivity should be shown to the views of those parents whose ethnic backgrounds and religious or other beliefs may cause them to hold strict reservations about such work.... sex education should be presented in the context of family life, of loving relationships, and of respect for others: in short, in a moral framework

16. ...schools which contain girls within the age and maturity ranges for menstruation to begin should make sure, in collaboration with parents, that such girls are adequately prepared

CM7 GEOGRAPHY 5-16

81. ...A teaching syllabus can also provide a basis for discussion and coordination with other staff within the school, such as the teachers of related subjects, the teachers providing remedial support for pupils or catering for other special needs such as English as a second language; .... A teaching syllabus should reveal what sort of contribution a course makes to the total curriculum of a school and, therefore, should be of value when reviewing the overall breadth and balance of a curriculum; the treatment of cross-curricular themes (eg environmental education, political education); and the development of whole school curricular strategies (eg language across the curriculum, the development of learning skills, and educating pupils for living in a multiethnic society).

CM8 MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO 16

69. ...Other languages, however, such as Urdu, Punjabi and Modern Greek also have a strong presence in the community and are already taught in a significant proportion of schools serving these communities. This section is concerned with such languages as foreign languages and does not deal with the maintenance of them as mother tongues although the two issues are closely related.

71. Where there is likely to be sufficient demand for such languages, and where it is possible to do so, they should be included in the curriculum of secondary schools and offered to all pupils.

72. ...If the classes are intended for pupils who do not already speak these languages, the same considerations apply as to the learning of any other foreign language and the courses are properly the concern of the modern language department, sharing the same aims, objectives and methodology. Frequently, however, pupils in such classes already speak the language or a variant of it, perhaps without being literate in it: in these circumstances, the objectives and conduct of the course need to be substantially different, having much more in common with the teaching of English as a mother tongue. Where possible it is advisable for classes in this category to be offered as option choices in the fourth and fifth years. Classes containing both categories of learner can present the teacher with severe problems and should be avoided if at all possible.

ENGLISH FOR AGES 5-11 PROPOSALS OF THE SECRETARIES OF STATE

1.20 We have paid particular attention to the needs of those children whose first language is not English .... It is essential that all children, irrespective of their first language, attain proficiency in English; if they do not, then they will be disadvantaged in the study of every subject and in later life. We therefore recommend that the normal attainment targets, programmes of study and assessment arrangements should apply to pupils whose first language is not English, and that they should be given extra help, if necessary, until they have reached parity with their peers whose first language is English. Pupils whose first language is not English can help other members of their class to extend their understanding of language, if the teacher makes use of this opportunity.

ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES

3.6 A statement of the aims of English language teaching also makes it easier to relate the use of English and knowledge about it to the wider area of language in general the Bullock Report clearly stated in 1975: "No child should be expected to cast off the language and culture of the home as he [or she] crosses the school threshold, and the curriculum should reflect this."

3.7 A major assumption which we are making is that the curriculum for all pupils should include informed discussion of the multi-cultural nature of British society, whether or not the individual school is culturally mixed. It is essential that the development of competence in spoken and written Standard English is sensitive to the knowledge of other languages which many children have. As well as the many different mother tongues that are present in our multi-cultural, multi-lingual society, there are also the foreign languages that are taught in schools. A rich source of insight into the nature of language is lost if English is treated in complete isolation.

3.9 ...Difficult issues of language in an increasingly multi-cultural society require informed citizens.

3.10 The presence of large numbers of bilingual and biliterate children in the community should be seen as an enormous resource which ought to become more, not less, important to the British economy in the next few years...

BILINGUAL CHILDREN

12.2 The distribution of bilingual children varies widely across the country, but the total numbers and diversity are certainly significant. The 1987 Language Survey conducted by ILEA found 23% of the Authority's school population using a language other than or in addition to English at home, with 170 different languages spoken by its pupils. On the basis of the limited evidence available some 5% of all schools in England are likely to have a significant population of children for whom English is not their mother tongue.

12.3 We believe that all children should be enabled to attain a full command of the English language, both spoken and written. Otherwise they will be disadvantaged, not only in their study of other subjects, but also in their working life. The Swann Committee has also noted "...the views expressed very clearly to us at our various meetings with parents from the whole range of ethnic minority groups that they want and indeed expect the education system to give their children above all a good command of English as rapidly as possible..."

12.4 Our initial reaction to our brief in respect of bilingual pupils was that all pupils must have access to the same attainment targets and programmes of study in English. After consulting many of those actively concerned with teaching English to bilingual pupils, who firmly endorsed this view, we are reinforced in our belief that this is indeed the right course.

12.6 We are also aware of the problem that assessment in English, particularly at age 7, could result in bilingual children reaching only a comparatively low level of achievement. … As the TGAT Report said: "...it should be recognised that to record a low level of performance for this reason ... would be no reflection on a pupil's general ability but merely an indication that the pupil needed special help in English language skills."

12.9 Bilingual children should be considered an advantage in the classroom rather than a problem. The evidence shows that such children will make greater progress in English if they know that their knowledge of their mother tongue is valued, if it is recognised that their experience of language is likely to be greater than that of their monoglot peers and, indeed, if their knowledge and experience can be put to good use in the classroom to the benefit of all pupils to provide examples of the structure and syntax of different languages, to provide a focus for discussion about language forms and for contrast and comparison with the structure of the English language. We endorse the view of the Kingman Committee: "It should be the duty of all teachers to instil in their pupils a civilised respect for other languages and an understanding of the relations between other languages and English. It should be made clear to English-speaking pupils that classmates whose first language is Bengali or Cantonese, or any other of the scores of languages spoken by the school population ... have languages quite as systematic and rule-governed as their own."