ABSTRACT
In this chapter we consider a concept that is central to education – the curriculum. After considering what is meant by the term ‘curriculum’, we will ask why a curriculum is deemed to be necessary and how it might come into existence. We discuss the role of the state, teachers and pupils in deciding on the content of the National Curriculum in England, while arguing that such a state-sponsored curriculum can be a dangerous thing. This argument can be illustrated by considering how a subject such as science has become part of the ‘core’ of that curriculum, and how it has retained that nominal status despite over a decade of emphasis on ‘the basics’ of literacy and numeracy. The case study will give us an opportunity to ask the questions:
• How is a curriculum written? • Why does a curriculum change? • How does assessment determine the nature of a curriculum? • Is the notion of a curriculum useful?
