ABSTRACT
Over the last decade, curriculum inquiry in Ireland has been vigorous and extensive. Contributions have come from curriculum specialists, philosophers and sociologists as well as from those not directly involved in the academic study of education (e.g., from representatives of industry and youth groups). Although academic inquiry has been critical of current curriculum provision and practice, there exists an orthodoxy among curriculum theorists that is quite striking. First, most share the same critical view of the system. Second, they tend to avoid issues that give rise to genuine disagreement. For example, much has been written about low achievement, disadvantage, and the dominance of terminal written examinations, but the voice of curriculum specialists has been largely absent from the public controversy about the state-sponsored program of Relationships and Sexuality Education. Likewise, readers might expect the theme of Irish identity to be the subject of curriculum debate, but the issue features little in the literature.
