British Work-oriented Curriculum Concept And Its Implementation

Work is the base on which society develops and individuals grow, with two perspectives included. In view of society's development, work is the base on which the whole society to run; on the other hand, in view of individuals' growth, work functions as an important and basic part in individuals' whole life. The demand for profession does not keep the same pace with the development of the times, which makes it imperative that education in the future entail the preparation for the work with a view to increasing economic benefit and producing riches. Therefore, the extent, to which education grows professionally, should be a new standard to evaluate the achievement of a country's economy.My thesis starts with the inquiry of the backgrounds for work-oriented curriculum to come into being. To facilitate the development of economy, reduction of unemployment rate, and improvement of the international competitiveness of UK, The UK government has put forward a series of steps to reform the traditional systems for education and training since 1970s, which led to the creation of work-oriented curriculum. So to speak, the work-oriented curriculum is an active response to fundamental changes and challenges in economy, education, and culture since Word War Two in UK.Next part is the principal one, in which are dealt with the ideas and related characteristics of work-oriented curriculum. Work-oriented curriculum is, in the author's opinion, a kind of comprehensive curriculum that breaks through the boundaries of the traditional academics-based curriculum and attaches great importance to ability orientation, with a view to helping the learners to understand the structures and requirements of the work world, and to make full preparations for facilitating the development of economy and industry and being creative workers. Preparation for and choice of work, and extensive learning in work, are all work-oriented; that is, these topics turn into a part of work-oriented curriculum.And the author proposes that four aspects makes up work-oriented curriculum, and they are economy, the transition of school to work, the relatedness of curriculum to learners, and the demands from the educated people. Meanwhile, the practical implementation of this kind curriculum is restricted by more than one complicated factors.In the third part are dealt with the implementing models of the curriculum's ideas and its further development. Among them are the Work Experience Programme, Vocational Preparation curriculum, and Technical and Vocational Education Initiative.Last but not least, at the advent of knowledge-based economy, the referring value for technical and vocational reform in China comes after the description of work-oriented curriculum's growing tracks, and the analysis of its concrete implementing models.