century. Transferable knowledge includes content knowledge and skills. Skills, as procedures, involve how, why, and when to apply knowledge to respond to questions and to solve problems. Competencies for the 21Four Dimensional Education Framework of the Centre for Curriculum Redesign
The significance of some of these literacies has been underscored by the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent posting in the, claims that many of the problems resulting from the Covid-19 crisis are related to a lack of science literacy. The authors argue that science literacy must be included in the basic definition of literacy to empower the next generation to address global challenges, and also to counteract the denial of scientific knowledge and to actively fight misinformation.
David Perkins, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, writes about reimagining the school curriculum to prepare children for a fast-changing world and uncertain future. He makes a convincing case that school curriculums should be redesigned, using what is likely to matter in the lives that learners are likely to live as a core measure. He coins the term “Perkins also makes the case that knowledge that is lifeworthy does not necessarily end up “lifeready” in practice.
I am not making the case for a knowledge-thin curriculum. Far from it. In agreement with Perkins and the Centre for Curriculum Redesign, I argue for a curriculum that focuses on foundational knowledge. This implies a curriculum that is structured around core concepts and essential content to allow cultivation of deep conceptual understanding of the essence or core ideas of subjects.