ABSTRACT
A massive reappraisal of the curriculum has been forced upon all schools and teachers are wary about the effects of the introduction of Local Management of Schools and increased use of their new powers by parents and governing bodies. The genesis of the National Curriculum may be traced back to a Labour Prime Minister, James Callaghan, who launched the ' Great Debate' about education at Ruskin College, Oxford in 1976. With the stress in the National Curriculum on a differentiated curriculum all teachers need to be aware of the individual learning needs of pupils in their classes. A driving force in the traditional design of the special education curriculum has been the goal of personal autonomy for each pupil. The National Curriculum poses a major challenge to all teachers, particularly those who serve the educational needs of pupils with learning difficulties.
