{"id":78803,"date":"2025-11-04T23:02:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T04:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=78803"},"modified":"2025-11-04T23:02:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T04:02:26","slug":"design-and-technologys-practical-and-creative-skills-should-see-it-revived-in-the-school-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/design-and-technologys-practical-and-creative-skills-should-see-it-revived-in-the-school-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"Design and technology\u2019s practical and creative skills should see it revived in the school curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Studying design and technology (D&T) at school gives children the opportunity to get up from behind a desk and learn practical skills. It\u2019s the only subject in the national curriculum in which children can develop and create tangible solutions to real problems.<\/p>\n

They can get an insight into whether they might enjoy careers in design, fashion, engineering, technology or food. And they can learn skills that will be useful to them at home, in the workplace and in society.<\/p>\n

D&T could play a crucial role in the government\u2019s aim to revitalise the\u00a0national curriculum<\/a>\u00a0in England, enrich children\u2019s learning, and prepare young people for vocational education and training. The practical and hands-on approach children learn through D&T in primary and secondary schools can raise their awareness of vocational options and prepare them for technical and vocational education after their GCSEs, whether or not they chose an overtly D&T-related career pathway.<\/p>\n

Once a thriving part of the national curriculum, D&T has suffered years of decline. The ongoing\u00a0review of the national curriculum<\/a>\u00a0in England provides the ideal opportunity for national education policy to revive the value of practical and creative learning for its pupils.<\/p>\n

D&T was a compulsory GCSE until 2004. It has since plummeted in popularity. The number of\u00a0GCSE entries has shrunk<\/a>\u00a0in England from over 400,000 entries in 2004 to\u00a0137,016 in 2025<\/a>. School funding has also\u00a0decreased in real terms<\/a>, affecting relatively\u00a0expensive subjects such as D&T<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"

GCSE Design and Technology entries from 1996 to 2024. Matt McLain, CC BY-NC-SA<\/p><\/div>\n

The introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which compares schools based on how many students take certain GCSEs, has added to this issue. The EBacc is weighted towards traditionally academic subjects: English, maths, the sciences, geography or history and a language. It incentivises schools to encourage students towards these subjects.<\/p>\n

The knock-on effect of this has been the drastic reduction of curriculum time and budgets for more practical and creative subjects, such as D&T, in many secondary schools. This prioritisation of certain subjects over others may also affect how young people think about learning skills that prepare them for work in the creative and manufacturing industries.<\/p>\n

There also aren\u2019t enough D&T teachers.\u00a0Government census data<\/a>\u00a0for England shows that in 2024-25, just 618 D&T trainees were recruited \u2013 39% of the target number. It was an even lower number the year before.<\/p>\n

Bursaries for new teachers<\/a>\u00a0are also lower for D&T than for subjects such as chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics. This means graduates in Stem subjects \u2013 science, technology, engineering and maths \u2013 who would be good candidates to teach D&T may opt for science or maths instead. In 2018, the Department for Education excluded D&T from a list of what it considered\u00a0Stem subjects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet in a world facing rapid technological change, climate challenges and skills shortages, practical and creative subjects such as D&T are more vital than ever. England faces a critical skills gap in design, engineering and manufacturing. These are industries essential for growth.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0World Economic Forum\u2019s<\/a>\u00a02025 Future of Jobs report outlines the core skills prioritised by employers. Many of these are promoted by D&T: they include creative thinking, technological literacy, quality control, and design and user experience.<\/p>\n

Design and technology is not a nostalgic throwback or a soft alternative to academic rigour. It is a challenging and vital part of preparing young people for the future. As England faces economic, environmental and social challenges, we need a curriculum that equips students to think creatively, solve real-world problems and engage with technology meaningfully.<\/p>\n

The final report of England\u2019s review of school\u00a0curriculum and assessment<\/a>, due for publication this autumn, presents an opportunity for a renaissance in practical and creative learning, as well as a revaluing of experience alongside knowledge.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Matt McLain is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Professional Learning at Liverpool John Moores University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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