ABSTRACT
Teachers and schools are used to facing public criticism; more recently local government has been the subject of general criticism for its alleged extravagance and inefficiency. This chapter examines present arrangements for control of the curriculum and how it has been subjected to change in the past two decades by various agencies. In response to social forces within society at large, structural changes within the educational system itself have had a significant impact on the curriculum. The compulsory school leaving age has been raised twice since the end of the Second World War. A disappointing aspect of curriculum development has been the apparent neglect of certain areas of the curriculum now recognized as important. The Warnock Report was critical of the curriculum of special schools and the educational standards achieved. One of the most serious obstacles to maintaining support for schools on curriculum development arises from the financial procedures operated by both local and national government.
