▁an ▁open ▁letter ▁arg uing ▁that ▁G ove ' s ▁curr icul um ▁placed ▁too ▁much ▁emphas is ▁upon ▁memor isation ▁of ▁facts ▁and ▁rules ▁over ▁understanding , ▁and ▁would ▁lead ▁to ▁more ▁ro te ▁learning . ▁G ove ▁ret orted ▁that ▁" there ▁is ▁good ▁academ ia ▁and ▁bad ▁academ ia ." ▁In ▁response , ▁one ▁sign atory ▁to ▁the ▁letter ▁op ined ▁that ▁G ove ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁" bl ink ered , ▁almost ▁mess ian ic , ▁self - bel ief , ▁which ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁contin ually ▁ignored ▁the ▁expert ise ▁and ▁wisdom ▁of ▁teachers , ▁head - te ach ers , ▁advis ers ▁and ▁academ ics , ▁whom ▁he ▁often ▁claims ▁to ▁have ▁consult ed ", ▁A ▁senior ▁civil ▁servant ▁admitted ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁controvers ial ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁proposed ▁secondary ▁curr icul um ▁had ▁been ▁written ▁internally ▁by ▁the ▁D f E , ▁without ▁any ▁input ▁from ▁exper ts . ▁ ▁In ▁May , ▁Simon ▁Sch ama , ▁earlier ▁mo oted ▁as ▁a ▁supp orter ▁of ▁G ove ' s ▁re forms ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁curr icul um , ▁delivered ▁an ▁ex cor i ating ▁speech ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁character ised ▁the ▁final ised ▁propos als ▁as ▁" ins ult ing ▁and ▁off ensive " ▁and ▁" ped antic ▁and ▁u top ian ", ▁acc using ▁G ove ▁of ▁construct ing ▁a ▁" rid icul ous ▁sho pping ▁list " ▁of ▁subjects . ▁He ▁ur ged ▁the ▁audience ▁at ▁the ▁Hay ▁Festival : ▁" T