Priorities in Greater Manchester's Curriculum for Life

In April, the young researchers leading Young People Missing from Decisions took their Life Lessons report to Churchgate House, the home of Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority. They were there to share their findings with the Youth Combined Authority, meeting directly with the working group who have responsibility for agreeing what should be in Greater Manchester’s new Curriculum for Life.

What is Curriculum for Life?
Creating a Curriculum for Life is part of the plan to realise the Greater Manchester strategy, One People, One Voice. It is meant to address gaps in skills and learning, with a goal of equipping young people for life. (See more details in the GM Strategy Implementation Plan, page 6.)

So what do young people want and need?
With support from The Children's Society, our young researchers told the Curriculum for Life group about their findings, highlighting what they had found out by asking other young people what they wish they were taught at school and what matters to them.

The key topics that emerged from the research were money matters (‘taxes, skills and bills’), relationships, and knowledge of politics and law. You can read more about this in the researchers’ report.

What was the result?

Before the meeting with our researchers, the Youth Combined Authority had identified 7 key topics for Curriculum for Life (shown above in a snapshot from their March newsletter). Having heard about Life Lessons, they set out their priorities, putting money management at the top of the list. This was a significant adjustment to the original plans, with the Combined Authority's own priority (work skills) shifted into second place. Health and politics were brought together under a single heading, "politics and rights". You can read more about the Youth Combined Authority's work and how Curriculum for Life plans are being implemented by following the links from their main web page.

Read more about the Young People Missing from Decisions project.