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Design and Technology - A Teacher's Experience of Change

 

Design and Technology is one of the most enjoyable subjects on the school curriculum. As a technology teacher of over twenty years experience it never fails to impress me when Year Seven pupils arrive at the workshops for the first time, all wide eyed and enthusiastic. This enthusiasm continues as they progress up the school despite constraints employed by the national curriculum. The general rule is that pupils, whatever age, enjoy to make. It is only when the paperwork takes over that this natural enthusiasm for problem solving through making becomes subdued. The cruel reality of the situation is that poor funding of the subject, coupled with the need for expensive consumables, force the average Design and Technology department to minimise making and replace it with paperwork in the guise of design work.

When I first started teaching in the early 1980s Design and Technology Departments delivered woodwork, metal work, technical drawing and Home Economics. Each course had clearly defined boundaries and rarely did pupil projects cross these. They were largely practical with specific practical skills delivered and the majority of pupils enjoyed them. Pupils knew exactly what they had to learn and most teachers were well experienced in delivering each O'level or CSE qualification. Change was slow but well thought, out unlike the last ten years where change to the delivery of DT has been regular and rushed through by higher authority.

In the early 1980s change to the delivery of DT was slow but by the late 1980s the pace of change was accelerating. For instance, Technical Drawing became Graphic Communication, and then Design and Communication, then became lost within a general umbrella of Design and Technology during the mid 1990s. Eventually it became known as Graphic Products having lost many of the skills associated with technical graphics. Gone were the days when pupils needed to use T-squares, Set Squares and measure accurately and in came plenty of sketching and shading. Currently pupils need to know a whole range of skills in a limited way rather than a few essential skills in depth.

On a more positive note subjects such as Systems and Control and Electronic Products have been introduced over the last ten to fifteen years. These have added a more academic side to Design and Technology, allowing a direct link with Science and Mathematics. Their introduction matched the change in the structure of manufacturing industry with its emphasis on modern technology and electronics.

During the early 1990s, metalwork all but disappeared with only a few well-equipped schools managing to hold on to engineering. Having lost much of their equipment (this is discussed later) Technology departments had no alternative but to deliver more generalised courses such as Resistant Materials or GNVQ Manufacturing.

Design and Technology requires purposed built workshops but during the late 1980s and early 1990s these began to disappear. Traditional workshops are very expensive to set up. Filling a workshop with proper workbenches, lathes, milling machines, machine drills etc. costs thousands of pounds. I have been in teaching long enough to remember the days of the early 1990s when head teachers decided to sell off this expensive equipment encouraged by changes in the National Curriculum that had watered down design and technology to such an extend that any teacher could deliver it. I remember the days when ridiculous combinations such as a GCSE in technology and music were more than acceptable to the Department for Education. The early days of the 1990s are best forgotten but for one reason - many schools took the opportunity to sell off technology workshop equipment leaving open spaces for design and technology to be taught in. Fortunately, the National Curriculum was reviewed later in the 1990s and specialist subjects were again encouraged. However, this left many design and technology departments with inadequate workshop equipment and facilities.

The situation for most schools now is that many Design and Technology departments have been left under equipped. Unless a school becomes a specialist Technology College funding is not available for equipping workshops in the way they were in the 1960s. Even becoming a Technology College may not help the situation as many schools spend the vast majority of the funding on ICT equipment rather than CNC machinery, other equipment and tools. It is worth noting that ICT equipment remains useful for three years until it needs upgrading or replacing whereas a reliable CNC machine can last a couple of decades. Technology college status usually means the purchase of ICT networks and broadband Internet access rather than real investment in Design and Technology.

If limited funding becomes available a DT department can equip a room for light Design and Technology work. A range of basic equipment such as bench top machine drills, sanders etc… can be purchased for less than sixty pounds each. Light workbenches and vices are also relatively cheap. At least this will equip a room for model making, Graphic Products or even Product Design. The only draw back is that some funding needs to be made available for ensuring that the equipment is installed according to Health and Safety regulations. Despite having light equipment, pupils will have access to enough equipment to ensure practical lessons can take place more regularly.

Good Design and Technology encourages pupils to problem solve, design and manufacture. If emphasis is placed on making (rather than designing and a minimum of making) pupils will retain their inborn enthusiasm for the subject. Design is important especially if it involves plenty of research and testing/modelling exercises. The design should not only be a matter of drawing and shading. It should include the pupil using numeracy, literacy and ICT skills - all as an integrated package. The general rule is that pupils enjoy being actively involved in any lesson and the more meaningful exercises that can be included, the better learning takes place.

Design and Technology has recovered in a limited way from the confusing days of the early to mid 1990s. However, more interference is just round the corner. The Department for Education is pushing vocational courses. The theory behind this is sound. The courses should be work related and prepare pupils for the workplace. However, if we follow the history of vocational courses in schools, especially GNVQ courses, vocational courses will be saddled with an immense amount of paperwork. One thinks back to the early days of GNVQ and the bundles of folders teachers had to keep as evidence of a pupil’s attainment. Lets hope this does not become the norm for the new vocation GCSEs.

 

Any comments to watt@teacher.com

 

 

 
 

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