UK Schools Embrace Future: New Curriculum Targets Fake News, AI, and Skills

The UK's Department for Education announces a major curriculum overhaul, introducing lessons on spotting fake news and artificial intelligence, reducing exam volume, and enhancing employability skills. Key reforms include teaching financial fundamentals, a compulsory citizenship module, and promoting outdoor and sporting activities. Implementation begins in September 2028.

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a landmark overhaul of the school curriculum in what is being hailed as the most significant change in a decade. This initiative aims to arm pupils with essential skills for the future, including the ability to identify fake news and understand artificial intelligence.

Reforms include reducing the hefty load of examinations faced by teenagers, now considered excessive. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized the importance of preparing young people for modern challenges and opportunities, declaring that schools must be knowledge epicenters.

A new compulsory citizenship module, financial literacy education, and a strong focus on digital skills are among the changes. The revised curriculum, incorporating these transformations, is set for launch in September 2028, with final plans due by early 2027 to facilitate a smooth transition.

(With inputs from agencies.)