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Programme title: DT at 10
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Good morning, and welcome to DT at 10. A summary of our main headlines: Michael Gove plans to strip down the curriculum Our economy takes a bashing as British manufacturing continues to decline

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And a special report on the future of Design and Technology You are watching D&T at 10

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The government is currently reviewing the national curriculum which will mean major changes to the primary and secondary school National Curricula in England. The review has the stated intention to slim down the National Curriculum dramatically in order to provide school management and teachers with much greater freedom to decide what is best to teach their students. More traditional subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science and Physical Education will remain compulsory, whilst more hands on and creative subjects could become optional and be taught at the discretion of the school. There is concern that too few schools currently recognise the importance and value of a D&T education. Removing it from the National Curriculum would seriously undermine both the life chances of young people and the countrys economic prospects now and in the future. Our correspondent, Elizabeth is out asking the general public what they think.

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The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Brian Lightman, believes that it is important that the curriculum is approached in a "holistic way" and recognises that education is not just about imparting information, but about exposing children to a range of experiences, and helping them to develop skills. Despite Mr. Goves assertion that he believes it is "important that children up to the age of 16 are introduced to a wide range of options that will help motivate and excite them, there is a risk that slimming down the curriculum will result in schools concentrating on the four core subjects, allowing other subjects especially expensive subjects like Design Technology - to fall by the wayside. And now for a quick look at the economy: Angharad

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Programme title: DT at 10
Back to Benjamin-Mathew and Antoinette for a quick recap on todays headlines Thank you Angharad. Misconceptions continue to blight progress within Design and Technology, and Angharad has a special report on DT: A new vision

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Design and Technology seems to be a subject riddled with misconceptions. One of the main criticisms of D&T is that it does not seem to be a subject that has evolved since its introduction into the national curriculum in 1989. Students are feed through a system that teaches them skills that they cannot relate in a real world context, and lessons that dont engage and push students to reach their full potential. Also that design and technology simply doesnt utilise advances in technology. These misconceptions are supported in Ofsteds 2011 report which stated there were not enough opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge of electronics, systems and control, and computer-aided 1design and manufacture. This is a key weakness at a time of rapid technological advance. Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert said pupils needed to learn about new materials and technologies and to investigate practically how and why products work, a need that was not always met. Gilbert goes on to comment that the variation between the best and weakest provision is unacceptably wide." And now for our special report

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Thank you Angharad, thats goodnight from me and the team at D&T at 10. Goodnight and believe in D T

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Thank you Elizabeth. Michael Gove, the current Secretary State for Education, is leading the movement to reduce the curriculum. Mr Grove has told the BBC there was currently too much focus on teaching methods and not enough on content. The review may opt for fewer compulsory subjects, with ministers specifying only four that must be studied. His perception of the current curriculum is that it is sub-standard and that he wanted to reduce "unnecessary prescription" and that the curriculum would be slimmed down so that it reflected the "essential knowledge" that children should learn.

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Programme title: DT at 10
The number of entrants has seen a slight decrease since then, which could be attributed to fewer pupils taking DT GCSEs. Students enjoy Design and Technology, especially when they are designing and making products which solve real problems. Design and Technology can improve pupils self-esteem and achievement. They are very motivated, and consequently D&T is the least truanted lesson. Design and Technology contributes to learners personal development, helps to improve numeracy and literacy, and pupils with special educational needs make better progress than in other subjects. However, not all pupils see the relevance of DT or understand how it can be applied in the real world. Elizabeth?

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His perception of the current curriculum is that it is sub-standard and that he wanted to reduce "unnecessary prescription" and that the curriculum would be slimmed down so that it reflected the "essential knowledge" that children should learn.

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However, there is clear opposition to Mr. Goves move to slim the National Curriculum down. The NASUWT teaching union are fiercely opposed to the curriculum review, with its general secretary Chris Keates commenting that The Government's intention is to privilege the academic over the vocational courses and to remove any notion of parity of esteem, in pursuit of its elitist approach to educational provision. In statements early last year, he maintained that the review was "pointless" as ministers had "already determined that children should have a 1950s-style curriculum". The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Brian Lightman, believes that it is important that the curriculum is approached in a "holistic way" and recognises that education is not just about imparting information, but about exposing children to a range of experiences, and helping them to develop skills.

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Design and Technology is a very popular subject. D&T was compulsory at Key Stage 4 until 2004, and although the number of GCSE entrants has been in decline since then, it still has the highest uptake of any non-statutory subject. The number of GCE A-level entrants saw an increase from 1996, peaking in 2006. The number of entrants has seen a slight decrease since then, which could be attributed to fewer pupils taking DT GCSEs.

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Today manufacturing accounts for less than 15 per cent of the economy and is continuing to decline. With skills shortages in the UK along with high youth unemployment, the economic forecast for British manufacturing in the future looks bleak. Helen Alexander from The Confederation of British Industry believes to secure growth in high value sectors we need more young people with practical D T skills.

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Design and Technology plays a vital role to drive significant economic growth within the UK. To maintain a competitive edge and ensure economic recovery we must make sure that, as Helen Alexander says, The design and technology students of today are the engineers and technicians of tomorrow. Back to Benjamin-Mathew and Antoinette for a quick recap on todays headlines