Almost one-third of primary teachers believe that standards in English could fall because of the introduction of the revised curriculum, according to a new INTO survey, while one in five believes maths standards could decline.
The primary teachers say large class sizes were making the task of teaching the new, expanded courses more challenging. Teachers also believe the revised English curriculum is too broad and that it is very difficult to cover all areas of the curriculum properly. The result, they say, is not enough time to teach basic literacy and numeracy.
The survey shows teachers have concerns about what can be realistically achieved in school. Some say individual attention for pupils is impossible due to large classes.
The study is the fourth in a series of studies into the curriculum in primary schools. It is the first to examine the revised curriculum, which was introduced in 1999.
More teachers argue that newcomer children without English and special needs children would be better taught in a smaller class.
Other concerns relate to implementing the curriculum in old schools with basic facilities. "Although many teachers stated that they enjoyed teaching the revised curriculum, a lack of resources, class size and time constraints are major problems."
Funding for resources is a major problem. Only 28 per cent were satisfied with the funding available.
