▁decision ▁as ▁cat ast roph ic , ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁collapse ▁in ▁the ▁integrity ▁of ▁the ▁exam ▁system . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁Conference , ▁G ove ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁primary ▁and ▁secondary - school ▁national ▁curr ic ula ▁for ▁England ▁would ▁be ▁rest ruct ured , ▁and ▁that ▁study ▁of ▁authors ▁such ▁as ▁By ron , ▁Ke ats , ▁Jane ▁Aust en , ▁Dick ens ▁and ▁Thomas ▁Hard y ▁would ▁be ▁re inst ated ▁in ▁English ▁less ons ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁improve ▁children ' s ▁grasp ▁of ▁English ▁literature ▁and ▁language . ▁Academ ies ▁are ▁not ▁required ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁national ▁curr icul um , ▁and ▁so ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁re forms . ▁Children ▁who ▁fail ▁to ▁write ▁coh er ently ▁and ▁gram matically , ▁and ▁who ▁are ▁weak ▁in ▁sp elling , ▁would ▁be ▁pen al ised ▁under ▁new ▁exam in ations . ▁Histor ian ▁Simon ▁Sch ama ▁would ▁give ▁advice ▁to ▁government ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁pup ils ▁lear nt ▁Britain ' s ▁" is land ▁story ". ▁Stand ards ▁in ▁mathematics ▁and ▁science ▁would ▁also ▁be ▁strength ened . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁needed ▁because ▁left - wing ▁ide olog ues ▁had ▁und erm ined ▁education . ▁Their s ▁was ▁the ▁view , ▁he ▁thought , ▁that ▁schools ▁" should n ' t ▁be ▁doing ▁anything ▁so ▁old - f ashion ed ▁as ▁passing ▁on ▁knowledge , ▁requiring ▁children ▁to ▁work ▁hard , ▁or ▁imm ers