Shake-up: A review ordered by Education Secretary Michael Gove (above) says children should be made to study history and geography to improve standards . Pupils may be forced to study history and geography until they are 16 under plans for a shake-up of the national curriculum. An independent review ordered by Education Secretary Michael Gove called for the move yesterday as part of a wider drive to address concerns that England’s schools are falling behind the rest of the world. A separate report yesterday warned of a sharp decline in history teaching, with 159 schools not entering a single pupil for a GCSE in the subject last year. Recent studies have exposed a shocking ignorance about history among school-leavers. One found that half of all 18 to 24-year-olds did not know Nelson led the British to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, with a similar  proportion unaware that the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall. Under the proposals, all pupils in England would be required to study history, geography, a foreign language, design and technology and the arts until at least 16, even if they are not planning to take a GCSE in them. At present pupils can drop these subjects at 14. An expert panel appointed by Mr Gove found that the curriculum in England narrows earlier than in countries with more successful education systems, where pupils are required to study key subjects such as history for longer. As a result, many youngsters are ‘deprived of access to powerful forms of knowledge and experience at a formative time in their lives’, the panel said. Gaps in knowledge: Under the proposals, teenagers would have to study history, geography, a foreign language, design and technology and the arts until at least 16 even if they don't sit the GCSE . A move to make these subjects compulsory would tie in with the Government’s new English Baccalaureate, awarded to pupils who gain at least five Cs at GCSE in English, maths, science, history or geography and a foreign language. Tory MP Chris Skidmore, vice-chairman of the all-party history group, warned that the decline in history teaching had potentially far-reaching consequences. Mr Skidmore, who will use a Commons debate today to call for history to be made compulsory, said: ‘At the moment we are the only country in Europe, apart from Albania, that allows children to finish history at 14. Warning: MP Richard Skidmore will use a commons debate today to call for history to be made compulsory . ‘There are dozens of schools where not a single pupil is studying history beyond that point. ‘Yet history is a subject that binds us as a nation. Having a common understanding of the past helps us to create a more coherent and tolerant society.’ Mr Skidmore said the subject was becoming increasingly confined to the most academic schools, particularly in the south. Yesterday’s proposals are part of wider reforms designed to boost England’s competitiveness by improving the curriculum. Other suggestions include requiring children to learn their times tables at a younger age. n Scruffy teachers should be ordered to smarten up, the incoming head of Ofsted  said yesterday. Sir Michael Wilshaw said teachers should set an example and dress in a ‘professional’ manner. He added: ‘I think it’s patronising to children for staff to dress poorly.’
Aims to address fears that standards are falling behind rest of the world .
Nearly 160 schools failed to enter a single pupil for GCSE history last year .
Shake-up: A review ordered by Education Secretary Michael Gove (above) says children should be made to study history and geography to improve standards . Pupils may be forced to study history and geography until they are 16 under plans for a shake-up of the national curriculum. An independent review ordered by Education Secretary Michael Gove called for the move yesterday as part of a wider drive to address concerns that England’s schools are falling behind the rest of the world. A separate report yesterday warned of a sharp decline in history teaching, with 159 schools not entering a single pupil for a GCSE in the subject last year. Recent studies have exposed a shocking ignorance about history among school-leavers. One found that half of all 18 to 24-year-olds did not know Nelson led the British to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, with a similar  proportion unaware that the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall. Under the proposals, all pupils in England would be required to study history, geography, a foreign language, design and technology and the arts until at least 16, even if they are not planning to take a GCSE in them. At present pupils can drop these subjects at 14. An expert panel appointed by Mr Gove found that the curriculum in England narrows earlier than in countries with more successful education systems, where pupils are required to study key subjects such as history for longer. As a result, many youngsters are ‘deprived of access to powerful forms of knowledge and experience at a formative time in their lives’, the panel said. Gaps in knowledge: Under the proposals, teenagers would have to study history, geography, a foreign language, design and technology and the arts until at least 16 even if they don't sit the GCSE . A move to make these subjects compulsory would tie in with the Government’s new English Baccalaureate, awarded to pupils who gain at least five Cs at GCSE in English, maths, science, history or geography and a foreign language. Tory MP Chris Skidmore, vice-chairman of the all-party history group, warned that the decline in history teaching had potentially far-reaching consequences. Mr Skidmore, who will use a Commons debate today to call for history to be made compulsory, said: ‘At the moment we are the only country in Europe, apart from Albania, that allows children to finish history at 14. Warning: MP Richard Skidmore will use a commons debate today to call for history to be made compulsory . ‘There are dozens of schools where not a single pupil is studying history beyond that point. ‘Yet history is a subject that binds us as a nation. Having a common understanding of the past helps us to create a more coherent and tolerant society.’ Mr Skidmore said the subject was becoming increasingly confined to the most academic schools, particularly in the south. Yesterday’s proposals are part of wider reforms designed to boost England’s competitiveness by improving the curriculum. Other suggestions include requiring children to learn their times tables at a younger age. n Scruffy teachers should be ordered to smarten up, the incoming head of Ofsted  said yesterday. Sir Michael Wilshaw said teachers should set an example and dress in a ‘professional’ manner. He added: ‘I think it’s patronising to children for staff to dress poorly.’
part of a wider drive to address concerns that England’s schools are falling behind the rest of schools not entering a single pupil for a GCSE in the subject last year. Recent studies have