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<p>The Department for Education believes that improving the quality of teaching in
literacy and numeracy is crucial to building the foundation for future study and work.
The Government has revised the national curriculum and set more rigorous and challenging
content in English and mathematics to match the highest performing countries around
the world. The new programmes of study for English and maths will challenge pupils
to realise their potential in an increasingly competitive global market.</p><p> </p><p>The
new maths GCSE will have more content, be more challenging and – alongside English
- will be double weighted in school performance tables. The Department has recently
allocated £11 million to fund <del class="ministerial">over</del> 32 new maths hubs
to support a more challenging maths GCSE to improve the quality of maths education.
This initiative, which includes a teacher exchange programme with Shanghai, will enable
every school and college in England, from early years to the post-16 sector, to access
locally-tailored support in all areas of maths teaching and learning.</p><p> </p><p>The
new national curriculum for English places a greater emphasis on reading and requires
pupils to study a range of books, poems and plays.</p><p>The national curriculum for
English will give teachers greater flexibility and freedom which will help to raise
standards and expectations for all pupils. It has been significantly slimmed down
and will free up teachers to use their professional judgement to design curricula
that meet the needs of their pupils.</p><p> </p><p>The new English language GCSE will
place greater demands on pupils and has more emphasis on those skills demanded by
employers. The new English literature GCSE will build on this foundation, and encourage
students to read, write and think critically.</p>
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