ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the forces that have influenced key shifts in curriculum policy from primary through to senior high level, and discusses the implications for specific school subjects. It traces how school curricula have reflected and reinforced the ideological and social changes already noted in. It begins by considering the official curriculum development apparatus, and the important role within this of the People's Education Press (PEP). Trends in official curricular discourse are then examined, focusing on gradual moves towards pluralism and the debate over 'quality' (suzhi). The chapter considers changes to the structures and rituals of schooling and the ethos these embody, and also discusses shifts in the curricula for particular subjects, especially those tasked with moulding political consciousness. It assesses the overall implications of curriculum development during the post-Mao period, and focuses on the construction of citizenship in a context of increasing domestic social stratification and international tension.
