natiness.html - Frequently written National Curriculum (People and Society) In the UK, a programme of study provided for in the Education Reform Act of 1988, to be followed by all pupils in the maintained schools of England and Wales, and comprising core and foundation subjects to which appropriate attainment targets and assessment arrangements are to be applied at specified ages. Etymology: Self-explanatory : a curriculum to be followed on a national basis (though in fact the schools of Scotland are not statutorily included, since education is separately administered there). History and Usage : As originally proposed, the national curriculum was intended to provide higher and more uniform standards of education across the various schools and parts of the country at a time when there was serious public concern over the content and standards of British education. National Curriculum Councils were set up for England and Wales to co-ordinate proposals for the content of the curriculum, standards, etc., but the Act gave final responsibility for specifying the attainment targets and programmes of study to the Secretary of State for Education and Science. The early proposals were quite ambitious in their scope and were based on the premise that all pupils should study certain subjects (the 'core' subjects) up to a certain age, their level of attainment in those subjects being assessed by organized testing at the 'key stages' of ages 7, 11, 14, and 16--the testing was to be based on standard assessment tasks, or SATs. As these proposals were implemented from 1990 onwards, it became clear that the original scope had been over-ambitious, and the number of subjects in which testing was to take place was reduced accordingly. This autumn, 25 Hampshire schools and colleges will be taking part in trials using CA material for teaching of maths and science under the new National Curriculum. Which? Sept. 1989, p.
413 The Department of Education and Science said: 'An increased workload in the short term will bring long-term benefits for teachers and pupils as the national curriculum brings a clearer framework for teaching. The Government is pacing its vital reforms and deferring appraisal to meet concerns about teachers' workload.' Financial Times 3 Apr. 1990, p. 12

natiness.html - (Environment) see heritage

natiness.html - n.
1 a community of people of mainly common descent, history, language, etc., forming a State or inhabiting a territory.
2 a tribe or confederation of tribes of N. American Indians.

law of nations Law international law.

nationhood n. [ME f. OF f. L natio -onis f. nasci nat- be born]

natiness.html - adj. & n.
--adj.

1 of or common to a nation or the nation.
2 peculiar to or characteristic of a particular nation.

--n.

1 a citizen of a specified country, usu. entitled to hold that country's passport (French nationals).
2 a fellow countryman.
3 (the National) = Grand National.

national anthem a song adopted by a nation, expressive of its identity etc. and intended to inspire patriotism. National Assembly 1 an elected house of legislature in various countries.
2 hist. the elected legislature in France 1789-91. National Assistance hist.
1 (in Britain) the former official name for supplementary benefits under National Insurance.
2 such benefits. national bank US a bank chartered under the federal government. national convention US a convention of a major political party, nominating candidates for the presidency etc. national debt the money owed by a State because of loans to it. national football Austral. Australian Rules football. National Front a UK political party with extreme reactionary views on immigration etc. national grid Brit.
1 the network of high-voltage electric power lines between major power stations.
2 the metric system of geographical coordinates used in maps of the British Isles. National Guard (in the US) the primary reserve force partly maintained by the States but available for federal use. National Health (or Health Service) (in the UK) a system of national medical care paid for mainly by taxation and started in 1948. national income the total money earned within a nation. National Insurance (in the UK) the system of compulsory payments by employed persons (supplemented by employers) to provide State assistance in sickness, unemployment, retirement, etc. national park an area of natural beauty protected by the State for the use of the general public. national service Brit. hist. service in the army etc. under conscription. National Socialism hist. the doctrines of nationalism, racial purity, etc., adopted by the Nazis. National Socialist hist. a member of the fascist party implementing National Socialism in Germany, 1933-45. National Trust (in the UK, Australia, etc.) an organization for maintaining and preserving historic buildings etc.

nationally adv. [F (as NATION)]

natiness.html - n.
1 a patriotic feeling, principles, etc. b an extreme form of this; chauvinism.
2 a policy of national independence.

nationalist n. & adj. nationalistic adj. nationalistically adv.

natiness.html - n.
(pl. -ies)
1 a the status of belonging to a particular nation (what is your nationality?; has British nationality). b a nation (people of all nationalities).
2 the condition of being national; distinctive national qualities.
3 an ethnic group forming a part of one or more political nations.
4 existence as a nation; nationhood.
5 patriotic sentiment.