New national curriculum guidelines start

TdaNews Direct
Published: 2 September, 2008

The national curriculum has changed for this year to provide children with knowledge on personal economics, health and languages, it has emerged.

Among the topics that will be taught, Sky News reported, are concepts such as credit card debt, climate change, how to tackle obesity and the provision of more economically viable languages such as Mandarin and Urdu.

Pupils between 11 and 14, for example, will be taught how to prepare healthy meals with fresh ingredients to tackle weight problems.

Speaking to Sky News, education consultant Jan Parnell said that the decision required more employers to get on board to encourage a greater interest from parents and pupils in the new additions.

She added: "But I think if we move slowly, evaluate it properly and really try to make it practically focused as well as the theory, we'll engage a larger group."

A report by the Daily Mail today revealed that children in primary school who had regular reminders about healthy living gained less body fat - estimated to be around 260g, or a pack of butter.