Changing the Curriculum: Can We Do Better?

During the last decade, we have heard a good deal about the need for curriculum change in the secondary schools. The Educational Development Conference reports, the Johnson Report, and the McCombs Report have made probably the most significant contributions. Their arguments frequently focus on the 'hidden curriculum', aspects of school organization, teacher-pupil relationships, and the general ethos of' school climate'. The established curriculum, with its various subjects, has also come under critical scrutiny. Most notable has been the questioning of its academic and examination-oriented nature. However, there is also pressure for change to meet the needs of employers now that jobs are more difficult to get, even change to supply the about-to-be-unemployed with special skills for coping.