Children are reportedly going to be be taught to master Twitter and Wikipedia under new plans to shake-up the primary school system.
What’s more if these are approved primary school children will no longer study the Victorians or World War Two history.
The idea of this proposed curriculum is to give teachers more freedom to decide what children should be learning.
Traditional learning, such as phonics, the chronology of history, and mental arithmetic, would be emphasised.
But more modern media and web-based skills, as well focusing on environmental education would also be taught.
If this proposal is approved it will mark the biggest change to primary school teaching in a decade.
Former Ofsted chief Sir Jim Rose, who was appointed by ministers to overhaul the primary school curriculum, drew up the plans which are due to be published next month.
He identified that children should leave primary school familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia, and Twitter as sources of information and forms of communication.
They must gain “fluency” in handwriting and keyboard skills, and learn how to use a spellchecker alongside how to spell.
Sir Jim also found children should learn two key periods of British history, but under his plans it would be up to the school to decide which ones.
It means schools would still be able to opt to teach Victorian history or World War Two, but they would not be required to.
The move is designed to prevent duplication with the secondary curriculum, which covers the war extensively.
There will be less emphasis on the use of calculators than in the current curriculum and kids would need an understanding of physical development, health and wellbeing programme.
John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said, “It seems to jump on the latest trends such as Wikipedia and Twitter.
“Then it has very traditional descriptions of chronological teaching of history. It seems to be about trends on the one hand, then political pressure on the other hand, the government didn’t want to look like it is scrapping traditional education.
“Computer skills and keyboard skills seem to be as important as handwriting in this. Traditional books and written texts are downplayed in response to web-based learning.”
Teresa Cremin, president of the United Kingdom Literacy Association, said, “We are very pleased to see a higher profile given to oracy but we are concerned that there seems to be no drama in the upper primary years linked to literacy.
“But our main concern is that there is no emphasis on reading for pleasure or the enjoyment of literacy.”
Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said, “They are much more sensible programmes of study.
“We are pleased they give the profession much more flexibility to meet the needs of their pupils. Children need to be enthused by learning, so they want to learn and gain the skills which will enable them to learn in later life.
“The debate is not about whether the Victorians are in there or not.”
The Department for Children, Schools and Families, said, “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.”
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I say, “What a joke!”
Yet more dumbing down - just what we need to make Britain, Great Britain, once again. 
I think the those people in authority are the ones who need educating.
Children already know far more about the web than most adults!
What a great idea, teach children about social networking websites, that sounds like a great education.
In my day we were taught to converse with other people face to face, and we were taught to read, and we were taught to write (not very well in my case as this blog proves!), but that’s not the point. The point is that once again it appears that the lunatics are running the asylum.
Heaven help us - well we definitely need some help when idiotic schemes like this are being given more than a second thought.
What is going on? Why does the government continuously insist on getting it wrong?
Because getting it right would cost a lot more money, and it would probably take a lot longer than 4 years, and as most people realise the government only see up to 4 years in to the future, they never think long-term.
They just don’t care.
None of the terrible decisions that they make ever have any detrimental effect on their own lives or their families.
They’re alright Jack!
Doesn’t former Ofsted chief Sir Jim Rose realise that Wikipedia is full of inaccurate information? Hardly the best source of modern technology to use whilst impregnating the innocent sponge-like minds of children.
I suppose that’s appropriate though, because if this proposal does get approval, the minds of primary school children will also be full of completely useless rubbish, and about as much use to them in later life as a sponge!
Flowers on our terrace - not relevant to this post - but like sponges, they too, soak everything up!
So then I decided to dye them black, perfect. At least it was until I got bored of them. So then I bleached them and they were cream again, minus the brown hair dye stain - which was odd ras it didn’t come our the previous time I bleached them? Anyway, then I dyed them black, or at least I tried to. This they didn’t take the dye for some reason, and they came out f the washing machine a medium grey colour, which I quite liked. Now they are ripped, which I don’t like, as it is still too cold for such open-legged clothes, and I am too old for such youth orientated fashion! I’ve definitely had my moneys worth from this particular pair of jeans, they weren’t cheap, which yet again proves that you get what you pay for. I seriously abused them for many years and they held up surprisingly well, but now I guess I will just have to replace them. I will miss them, they were good jeans.
