Contained within the government’s new proposals for the Advanced British Standard is a defence of knowledge-rich learning by schools minister Nick Gibb.

We have published the full text below as an insight into how this educational philosophy is seen as key to underpinning the new proposals.

What do we mean by knowledge-rich, and why is this important?

Nick Gibb, minister of state for schools

Sometimes discussions of education - particularly of its future - suggest that knowledge is becoming less important, promoting the teaching of generic skills.

They may suggest that knowledge can be provided by the internet or AI. Knowledge-rich approaches to education are based on evidence showing that:

• It is very difficult to teach generic, transferrable skills, and most are based on key knowledge. For example, it is possible to learn scientific methods in the abstract, but a successful scientist has to know what an “anomalous” result in their field looks like, which relies on deep knowledge.
   
• Working memory is limited, and it is hard to reason in a sophisticated way with shallow information. Looking several things up and then trying to combine and operate with them is far harder than using information that is securely known. Deep thinking requires knowledge and understanding.
   
• Operating successfully in the world depends on having the knowledge that most people assume others will have. For example, authors of most books for adults will assume readers will know that Paris is the capital of France, and that a “schooner” is a type of ship.
  
  Studies show that knowledge-rich approaches are particularly important for closing disadvantage gaps, as disadvantaged children are less likely to acquire all this knowledge unless explicitly taught it.
   
• Knowledge is “sticky” and often sequential. It is easier to learn things that “attach” to knowledge you already have. Giving every young person a strong, comprehensive and broad framework of knowledge helps them learn more, and make sense of future facts and ideas they encounter.
   
• Having a comprehensive framework to “attach” new knowledge to is the best preparation for an agile and changing world - rather than teaching an up-to-the-minute skill which will become outdated.
  
  For example, the best programmers are not those who learnt a particular programming language at school, but those with secure core mathematical skills which can be deployed onto new programming languages as they develop.

A knowledge-rich curriculum also unlocks skills of problem solving, reasoning and critical thinking, doing so on a foundation of knowledge rather than in isolation.

Having prior knowledge helps young people solve problems by freeing up space in working memory (if you know 5 + 5 = 10, multiplications that build on this become easier).

Problem solutions and complex ideas also reside in memory, acting as an “easy access” supply of solutions to help accelerate thinking.

Knowledge-rich curricula pay careful attention to what is taught, but also to how: in a careful and coherent sequence, with secure links made within and across subject disciplines to create the framework for future understanding and learning.

You can also read the piece on page 15 of the government’s document here