What are the Key Elements? Are they just the Cross Curricular Themes re-packaged?
• Many of the Key Elements are drawn from the original aim of the Northern Ireland Curriculum and from the CCTs. Others represent issues to which education has been increasingly asked to respond, such as Sustainable Development and Media Education. • These are now set out as Key Elements under the objectives of the curriculum so that they can be addressed as a central (rather than a secondary) purpose of the curriculum. • Because they represent the overarching objectives of the curriculum they are common for all subject strands. • Setting out the curriculum under Key Elements aims to show clearly the ‘higher’ purposes of the curriculum and also to facilitate linkages between Learning Areas and subject strands. • Unlike the CCTs, which were often difficult to recognise within subjects, the Key Elements now represent the Minimum Entitlement for pupils in each subject strand.
