CONCERNS about a potential skill shortage among teachers have been raised after the Government unveiled its new national curriculum.

Yesterday, Education Secretary Michael Gove un-veiled the new curriculum, which will use a more traditional approach to English and maths, while seeking to modernise teaching in other areas.

Under the new policy, children will be taught from an early age computer code and algorithms, robotics and about 3D printing, while Shakespeare and times tables will play a bigger role in English and maths.

But concerns have been raised about whether existing teachers will have the skills to teach new subjects.

Liberal Democrat councillor and education expert John Howson said: “I think one should always review things like this, and the addition of things like 3D printing is sensible.

“The thing that worries me most about the whole thing is that we have to make sure teachers are appropriately skilled to teach these new things.”

County council cabinet member for education, schools and families Melinda Tilley said she backed the policy but accepted teachers may need to retrain.

She said: “Some of these things will need cracking teachers in order to inspire children, but that doesn’t have to mean brand new teachers; these are things teachers can learn.”

Windmill Primary School headteacher Lynn Knapp said the Government was trying to fix something that was not broken. She said: “I think our current curriculum is the best it’s ever been. I’ll be sad to see it go.

“I agree we do need to be looking towards the future, and the addition of things like robotics and code is great, but at the same time this idea of going back to fact-based learning seems to be like going back to the Victorian times.”

Teaching unions said the proposed implementation deadline of next autumn was too soon.

Gawain Little, a year five teacher at St Ebbe’s Primary School and the National Union of Teachers’ Oxfordshire branch secretary, said: “It’s a shame there have been so many curriculum reviews, and this is the third draft, but it still doesn’t feel like there has been a proper dialogue.

Henley MP John Howell said: “This is a curriculum that is rigorous, engaging and tough. It is a curriculum to inspire a generation – and it will educate the great British engineers, scientists, writers and thinkers of our future.”

Headteacher shortage: Pages 8&9