ABSTRACT
The ‘Good Life’ is increasingly construed in materialist terms by the world’s human population. It would be unwise not to acknowledge the tensions between countries, consequent on competition for finite material resources. Within a given country, region, town and locality, individuals, and groups, also compete for limited resources that are seen as desirable and beneficial. Education is a highly political issue. The content, teaching and assessment of a National Curriculum cannot be politically neutral. In tune with the market economy philosophy of the current British government, those employed in education are seen as providers of services. Acknowledging the existence of such powerful challenges to social cohesion is an essential, but not sufficient, condition to addressing them. In any pluralist society there will inevitably be many deeply held moral, religious and political disagreements. Within an elected democracy, the convention that divergent opinions should be respected, is a central tenet.
