More than half of teachers think the government is planning to encourage schools to use government-approved classroom resources, according to a new survey.
The poll of more than 4,600 teachers by TeacherTapp, on behalf of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), found that nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of teachers are worried about their autonomy in the classroom if the government asks schools to use department-approved resources.
The data also suggested that half of teachers (50 per cent) thought that the Department for Education requiring schools to use government-approved curriculum resources and lesson plans would be a “retrograde step”.
BESA commissioned the survey after the DfE announced plans to turn the online Oak National Academy into a new government arm’s-length body designed to provide free curriculum resources to schools across the UK.
Last week, the suppliers association revealed that it was considering legal action against the DfE over its plans to establish Oak National Academy as a new arm’s-length national curriculum body.
Caroline Wright, director general of BESA, said the survey’s findings showed there was “very little appetite” among teachers for the government to “provide a central source of free classroom content”.
Ms Wright also added that there was “genuine concern” that, if the DfE’s plans for Oak go ahead as planned, “it won’t be long before schools start to think that, if they don’t use Oak resources, it could impact on the way they are inspected”.
She believes that concern could prevent schools from “using the classroom content they know is the most effective and appropriate for their students”.
Teachers were also asked whether they would prefer the government to provide schools with selected free resources to use or allocate funding directly to schools to choose their own curriculum resources.
The survey found that just over one in ten (11 per cent) teachers want the government to “directly provide schools with free curriculum resources”, while over four in five (84 per cent) of teachers would want the government to allocate funding directly to schools to choose their own curriculum resources.
The survey also suggested that less than a third (31 per cent) believe using government-approved resources will help reduce teacher workload.
Last week, the suppliers association revealed that it was considering legal action against the DfE over its plans to establish Oak National Academy as a new arm’s-length national curriculum body.
In a letter to the education secretary, BESA revealed that it was considering seeking a judicial review over what it dubbed as the DfE’s “unlawful” decision on Oak.
A Department for Education spokesperson said the decision to create an arm’s length body that “will support teachers to deliver excellent lessons and build on the success of Oak National Academy” had been taken “following careful consideration”. The spokesperson added that the DfE was “confident that due process had been followed”.
The spokesperson said the DfE had met with BESA “and other trade organisations on a number of occasions over recent months to share our thinking” and that the department will “continue to engage with stakeholders on this policy”.
“Market engagement is an important part of this process and we welcome views from the sector on our proposals.”
The DfE added that it had been clear that the curriculum body’s resources will be optional.
Matthew Hood, principal of Oak National Academy, said that teachers “hugely value the free support and quality” resources from Oak National Academy, with “nearly half of all teachers (46 per cent) using it”.
Mr Hood added that, since January this year, an average of 200,000 users have come to Oak every week, and 93 per cent “of our teacher-users intend to continue using it next year”.
He said: “Teachers and schools know their pupils best, so Oak’s resources will always remain entirely optional, be made by teachers, for teachers, and be created independently of government. This commitment is unwavering.
“Supporting teachers with optional, quality and free resources will help teachers’ workload and reduce pressures at a time of increasing costs for schools”.
