Inspiring pupils to design and make

Design and Technology (D&T) was introduced in first National Curriculum in 1989, replacing the subjects craft design and technology (CDT) and home economics. These were firmly rooted in a long history dating back to the late 19th century, of pupils developing practical skills and in the best cases, applying these to making high quality products. Many examples of this output still survive today, a testimony to both the skill of the makers and the teachers of the time that enabled the creation of artefacts that decades later, are still in use and are valued. Through CDT in the 1970s-80s the teaching of designing in schools was in its infancy. It has not been until relatively recently that many teachers have confidently applied strategies, methods and approaches that develop and capitalise on young people’s creativity.
   
More recently, in 2012, Michael Gove’s Expert Panel, established to advise him on what a National Curriculum should contain, removed D&T and relegated it to the ‘basic curriculum’ i.e. outside of the National Curriculum for all. The Design and Technology Association drew on the support of industrialists including Sir James Dyson and British designers such as Paul Smith to lend weight to their ultimately successful campaign to retain D&T as compulsory for all pupils.

Early curricula
The first draft National Curriculum design and technology programmes of study were published in February 2013 concentrating on DIY skills. They were quite rightly castigated as completely out of synch with the needs of a 21st century technological world and the relatively new Minister for Education Elizabeth Truss who presided over their writing, was left with egg on her face. Once again, The Design and Technology Association was able to influence Government’s policy makers adopt a far more appropriate, forward looking and relevant alternative.
   
The earlier draft was seriously bad, but it was correct in asserting that D&T is about practical activity, using skills knowledge, materials and processes to make things. I frequently use the very same skills it develops to service or mend things too, which is an age when sustainability is paramount seems wholly appropriate. But developing making skills is only one aspect of the subject. The authors of the replacement placed significant importance on making skills and complimentary knowledge, but they also better articulated the whole purpose for studying the subject, what it contributes to a broad and balanced curriculum for all and how it prepares young people for participating in an increasingly technological world. Supported by resourcing and all‑important CPD for teachers, it provides the framework for schools to develop world leading provision.
   
Indeed over the past year the Association has responded to invitations to visit and received delegations from China, Japan and South Korea, all of which are keen to find out how to replicate what they see us doing well. China is investing heavily in design education to complement their manufacturing capability. By nurturing creative, innovative young people, they seek to ensure that in the future both the words ‘Manufactured in China’ and ‘Designed in China’ are embossed on the back of the world’s most popular mobile phones.

The present picture
So one term in and schools implementing the new curriculum, how are things going? Well generally speaking, the new requirements have been very well received and are being used in many schools as a useful catalyst to modernise curriculum provision and pupil experience. The inclusion of new words such as ‘user centred design’, ‘iterative design processes’ and technical knowledge including ‘electrical and electronic systems’ and ‘the use of ‘electronics to embed intelligence in products’ is proving helpful. Having reviewed their current practice, many schools are now identifying specific aspects that are currently not being addressed sufficiently well. In most cases this does not require the purchase of additional equipment but this depends very much on how an individual school’s history of ongoing investment.
   
But it would be entirely wrong to consider the degree of success without also mentioning the educational landscape within which they are being implemented. There are a number of major issues impacting heavily on schools – so much so that in some schools, the subject’s continued existence is at stake.

Challenges
Firstly is the supply of the most essential resource of all which is the teachers to teach the subject. Last year, the subject recruited only 48 per cent of the number of teachers DfE calculated it would need to fill vacancies in school. This year that dropped to 44 per cent with only 450 recruits now in training, worse than for any other subject. Whilst D&T has always presented recruitment challenges, never before has the situation been so dire. Effectively we have lost an entire cohort over two years which cannot help but impact negatively on schools. Indeed some schools are making cuts and in the worst cases removing it from the curriculum altogether.
   
Secondly, the Government’s preferred School Direct model where prospective teachers apply directly to schools to train them rather than established HEI postgraduate routes is not working. Schools and busy teachers consumed by the challenges of teaching their pupils have not responded well to the additional role of recruiting and becoming expert teacher educators.
   
Thirdly and in part responsible for the shortfall, the status of the subject and its perceived value in the curriculum has been reduced. The effect of the Ebac in schools – the use of a metric calculated by awarding points to examination points at GCSE level in five key ‘academic’ subjects in order to provide data to inform the creation of school league tables, has massively reduced the overall GCSE entry. Once the most popular subject after the core, in 2014 there were just 214,000 entries compared with some 350,000 in 2004.
   
Fourthly, the lack of recognition, and mention of D&T at a high level. Although Elizabeth Truss stated she was justly ‘proud’ of the subject in the National Curriculum and in a speech to the CBI in September 2013 mentioned D&T when talking about “rebalancing the curriculum towards high‑value subjects – in maths, the sciences and D&T”, no other significant senior politicians do so. It is not on their agenda partly because it not in their own personal experience. 
   
Finally, in response to international comparisons being made on performance of schools and in particular an under performance in mathematics, many are cutting D&T curricular time and associated resourcing to concentrate on those areas against which they are publicly judged.
   
None of this bodes well for the subject but despite all this there are many positives. In addition to the new curriculum, GCSE and GCE D&T, qualifications are being reviewed for first teaching in 2016 and 2017. This provides at least the opportunity for the awarding organisations to develop more up to date specifications that better reflect the needs of young people and the country. Also, where D&T has enjoyed strong leadership, has benefited from investment and is valued in the school, it is very good. The subject is particularly strong in independent schools that typically have not felt the brunt of the cuts and are attracting some of the most talented teachers.

What is needed?
We should not ignore the considerable resource requirements – not least consumable resources that need to be made available if the curriculum is to be covered as intended. In times of contracting budgets, curriculum time and increased group sizes, this presents many challenges but we can not afford to lose what is at the heart of D&T, namely designing and making things. Slowly schools are addressing resourcing needs and acquiring the necessary digital technologies so powerful in liberating young people’s creativity.
   
Companies such as Autodesk, making products such as their excellent industry standard 3D CAD package Inventor available free to schools and individual pupils is very helpful. Essential equipment to complement traditional machinery such as laser cutters, CNC routers and milling machines are becoming more common but there remains much to be done to provide teachers with the competence and confidence to use this to maximum effect.
   
Perhaps the area that needs the most support is that of electronics and control technology. It is now a requirement for all pupils to be taught to use programmable components in products they design and make. The technology to enable this is now readily available to schools and at an affordable cost. New devices and systems for programming together with ease of interfacing with a range of transducers and actuators makes it possible for young people to realise ideas that in the past would have remained in concept only. But there remains much to do if schools are to embrace this technology and it becomes widely used. Last year, only six per cent or all GCSE entries were for the ‘high tech’ D&T routes Electronics and Systems and Control.
   
So does this leave the future of the subject? Well as set out above there are many challenges to overcome. If we are to continue to lead the world in providing modern D&T education for all, then as a nation, we have to start talking up the importance of the subject at all levels – starting right at the top with Ministers, through industry and employers down to individual schools and teachers. It is too valuable a gem to lose and simply pass over to other countries to make hay with. But without the country talking it up, we will fail to recruit the expert teachers it needs, fail to retain its place in the curriculum and fail the current and future generations who will depend on the capabilities it engenders.

Further information
www.data.org.uk