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This paper argues that the existence of a canon of established and privileged texts in the primary literacy curriculum in England can be traced historically and has informed current national policy and practice. This canonisation of a particular set of literature has served to marginalise popular cultural and media texts, often the preferred texts of children in contemporary society. The paper examines the historical development of an established, hegemonic body of texts and critically analyses current national curricula frameworks for primary literacy in order to determine the way in which reading material is framed. It is argued that current national policy enshrines particular textual traditions at the expense of more popular forms of material and that this has major implications for the relevance of the future primary literacy curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Carr argues that the intelligibility of spiritual development as an educational activity is dependent upon there being a framework of propositions that relates to spiritual experience and that there is a methodology for establishing their truth. These propositions and the accompanying methodology need to be constructed along the lines of a traditional but re-worked form of religious education. Michael Hand argues to the contrary that there can be no methodology for the evaluation of the truth claims in relation to ‘spiritual’ propositions since they invariably psychologically, if not logically, involve reference to a transcendental being and are therefore seen as substantially matters of faith. Since the presentation of faith-based propositional knowledge is inappropriate to the secular school, the only route for spiritual education is in terms of those emotional qualities that we identify with the human ‘spirit’, that is, generosity, magnanimity, good heartedness, etc. In this paper it is argued that neither position is satisfactory in addressing the existential anxieties and tensions that underlie the construction of religious and other spiritually relevant forms of articulation. We do not need Carr's ‘true’ spiritual propositions. Analysis of spiritual discourses can take the same epistemological form as enquiry in arts criticism, one that recognises the elasticity of its propositions in terms of meaning and a fluidity in terms of its boundaries. The ‘truth’ of such propositions depends upon how they answer to the existential tensions felt by the pupil. Insofar as Hand's analysis is concerned, to reduce spiritual education to a form of emotional and social development neglects the clear intelligibility of spiritual discourse to the religious and non-religious minded alike. The unifying element in spiritual discourse is those existential questions that lie at its foundations. Spiritual education seeks to address these questions as ones of both passion and intelligibility, helping pupils to make choices in light of their own experience of the tensions and anxieties that are embedded within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the ‘progressive’ influence of the English Plowden Report and Scottish Primary Memorandum on British primary curricula from the 1960s onwards, secondary education has generally continued to follow a more traditional subject-centred route and post-war educational theorists have not generally been favourably inclined to other than subject-based modes of curriculum planning and organisation. However, in the light of current curriculum reviews on both sides of the Scottish border – calling for more educationally meaningful curricula – the perennial issue of how school knowledge might best be ordered for the coherent educational experience of pupils seems worth revisiting. To this end, this paper examines some of the influential post-war philosophical arguments against integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to the curricular organisation of knowledge, concluding that they are not as compelling as they might formerly have seemed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of geography is declining in popularity at secondary school level and recent developments following the ‘cultural turn’ in Higher Education have had little impact in revitalising it. In this paper I explore the question: is there a problem with the school geography curriculum policy? After briefly sketching the history of the Geography National Curriculum policy (GNC), I focus on Caputo's (1997) commentary on Derrida and the idea of deconstruction and invention to explore the contemporary GNC policy text (1999) programme of study at Key Stage 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proceeds through four stages. First, it provides an account of the origins and evolution of the concept of educational theory. Second, it uses this historical narrative to show how what we now call ‘educational theory’ is deeply rooted in the foundationalist discourse of late nineteenth and early twentieth century modernity. Third, it outlines and defends a postfoundationalist critique of the foundationalist epistemological assumptions on which our understanding of educational theory has been erected. Finally, it argues that the only conclusion to draw from this postfoundationalist critique is that educational theory has run its course and should now be brought to a dignified end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years there has been a renewed interest in questions of citizenship and in particular its relation to young people. This has been allied to an educational discourse where the emphasis has been upon questions concerned with ‘outcome’ rather than with ‘process’– with the curriculum and methods of teaching rather than questions of understanding and learning. This paper seeks to describe and illuminate the linkages within and between these related discourses. It advocates an inclusive and relational view of citizenship-as-practice within a distinctive socio-economic and political, and cultural milieu. Drawing upon some empirical insights from our research we conclude that an appropriate educational programme would respect the claim to citizenship status of everyone in society, including children and young people. It would work together with young people rather than on young people, and recognise that the actual practices of citizenship, and the ways in which these practices transform over time are educationally significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of the 1990s, creativity has become a growing area of interest once more within education and wider society. In England creativity is now named within the school curriculum and in the curriculum for children aged 3–5. There are numerous government and other initiatives to foster individual and collective creativity, some of this through partnership activity bringing together the arts, technology, science and the social sciences. As far as education is concerned, this growth in emphasis and value placed on encouraging creativity can be seen as being in stark contrast with the government policy prevalent from the late 1980s onward. One of the underpinning themes and justifications for this re-kindling of interest in fostering creativity is that the individual and collective empowerment which is fostered by the development of creative skill is seen to be a good thing at the social and economic level in particular (Craft, 2002). These justifications have been discussed elsewhere (Jeffrey and Craft, 2001). But an important question to ask is, how desirable are the cultural norms of continual change and innovation in Western society? This paper examines some possible social, environmental, cultural and ethical limits to creativity, in the context of educating for creativity (NACCCE, 1999). It argues that the notion of creativity may be value- and culture-specific and that this poses the so-called liberal educator with various dilemmas of principle and pedagogy, which are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trends in the status of teacher education can be examined through proposals for alternative models of course structure and delivery and the implications of these for teacher trainers and teachers. This paper implies that there exists a political will to move responsibility for teacher training from Colleges of Education and Universities to "training" schools. It indicates that, while the introduction of a market led education service suggests greater autonomy for teachers and schools, the reality is that through strengthening the role of bureaucracy in education, the Government retains strong central control over the whole service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the idea of the city technology college in the Great Britain. Preparation for adult and working life; Alleviation of the consequences of the educational selection; Significance of secondary technical schools in terms of the curriculum initiatives.

Comments on the evolution of the educational system in Great Britain. Duration of curriculum in comprehensive schools; Implementation of the 1944 Education Act; Debate over parental choice of schools, standards and the structure and content of the curriculum.

This article discusses the sociology of knowledge and curriculum planning. People interested in problems of the curriculum of schools can be divided into two groups. The first group, by far the largest, is mainly interested in the practical problems of the curriculum, of which bringing about some desirable change in the curriculum might be one. The theoretical basis for much of the work in this particular volume is to be found in a sub-discipline of sociology known as the sociology of knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to provide some account of the sociology of knowledge and to explore the implications for the study of the curriculum of this particular viewpoint. The author proposes to do this first by looking at the sociology of knowledge as it was formulated by researcher Karl Mannheim. Although Mannheim was by no means the first to put forward a set of ideas as the sociology of knowledge, he is the thinker who made these notions through his writings accessible to the English speaking world. Mannheim drew attention to two other features of political and social theories.

The article presents information on the early efforts in international education during the 19th century. The founding of boarding schools in various countries, with similar curricula and methods of teaching so that their pupils might migrate from one school to another and thus acquire fluency in the several languages without disrupting their studies has long been conceptualized. It was in this concept that the International Education Society was founded. The origin of the scheme lay in the report of a committee appointed by the French Imperial Commissioners for the Paris Universal Exhibition to award the prizes offered for the best essays on the advantages of educating together children of the different European nations. The idea was taken up and the plan then was to form a large company of shareholders, and to establish at four places schools which should be perfectly alike in their arrangements. The institutions were to admit pupils between the ages of eleven and eighteen and were to dovetail into one another in such a manner that after every second year each boy was to pass onto another country. The plan met with a good deal of opposition on the grounds that it would weaken the development of national character and would necessarily produce a superficial education, but its protagonists were not deterred.

The article presents information on the future pattern of technical education in Scotland. The development of technical education in Scotland has been under discussion for some time by various bodies in preparation for the formulation of official policy, which has now been published. In the White Paper of 1956, a building program was outlined. The White Paper recognizes four broad categories of workers, namely, technologists, technicians, craftsmen and operatives. For the first category entrance qualifications to the appropriate courses of study are to be broadly equivalent to University entrance requirements; and the courses will last for either four years or three years. The success of the program depends on the adequacy and efficiency of the teaching force. Despite the increase in the number of full-time teachers in central institutions and further education centers from 1369 in 1956 to 1725 in 1959, it is estimated that an additional 280 teachers per annum will be required between now and 1965.

The article presents information on the First World Conference on Medical Education was held in London, England in August 1953. The general theme was undergraduate medical education. No fewer than 32 countries contributed papers. Sectional discussions covered complex and various aspects of almost the whole field of medical education, including requirements for entry into medical schools, the aims and content of the curriculum, techniques and methods of medical education, and preventive and social medicine. As is common with conferences of this nature, what was sometimes really most valuable were the questions raised rather than the answers provided. For the historian of education Professor J.F. Fulton of Yale address on the History of Medical Education. In it he showed the supreme importance for medical education of an intimate teacher-pupil relationship, drawing his evidence from Sanskrit medical literature of 500 B.C. as well as from Plato, Hippocrates and Galen. After tracing the story through the Middle Ages to modern times he pays what is perhaps an overdue tribute to British Government-sponsored studies and reports.

Addresses the issue of the need for the development of a post compulsory curriculum adequate to the demands of the 21st century in British education. Qualitative and quantitative issues involved in the development of a 21st century curriculum; Circumstances that can influence curriculum development efforts in the country.

Discusses the occupation of the curriculum high-ground in secondary schools by the Technical &Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) in Great Britain. Impact of the occupation on initiatives in teaching and learning; Influence of many of the central organizing ideas and educational themes of TVEI of the working practices of curriculum areas; Result of the redefinition and reconstruction of the TVEI by its sponsors and by curriculum coordinators in schools and colleges.

The article seeks to explore five fundamental dilemmas that are confronted by in history teacher education. These dilemmas, related to debates about history teaching, the coherence of the Post-Graduate Teachers Certificate (PGCE) courses, the value of school based PGCE work, the personal agendas and concerns of beginning teachers and the introduction of the National Curriculum derive from an interaction of long standing problems in teacher education, the initiatives of the present government and debates within the subject discipline. Each dilemma is elaborated in the context of PGCE programs for history student teachers and the work concerned with the classroom teaching of their subject.

Discusses the factors being considered in national curriculum-making in Australia. Trends in the Australian economy; Costs of education in relation to the outcomes of schooling; Integration of education and youth policies.

Examines the Irish language revival in Northern Ireland. Improvement in the status of the language in the education system; Reform of the school curriculum; Element in the educational change.

Focuses on the need for a set of principles to govern the continuing development of educational partnership in the curriculum. Impact of the social change in industrialized countries on young people; Replacement of the collegiality and partnership in terms of curriculum reform by more direct central control by the end of the 1970s; Influence of the large scale social changes to influence work in education.

Evaluates the effectiveness of planned curriculum change in Great Britain. Citation of the minimal impact of curriculum change on schools and colleges; Requirement of changes in the internal organization of the school; Involvement of teachers in decision-making.

This article present information on the proceedings of the first world conference on medical education, held in London, England, in August 1953. The entire proceedings of the conference has recently been published by the Oxford University Press under the title "Proceedings of the First World Conference on Medical Education, London 1953, Held Under the Auspices of the World Medical Association," edited by Hugh Clegg. This publication covers major issues related to medical education that were discussed during the conference. The discussions cover: requirements for entry into medical schools; aims and content of the medical curriculum; techniques and methods of medical education; and preventive and social medicines. In the discussions on entrance-requirements the case for the humanities was put strongly, while resisting however the implication that science is in some way inferior. It was felt that entrance-requirements should be kept flexible. There was considerable support for the view that much of the traditional anatomy teaching is unnecessary and that a student should have the opportunity of watching an operation, where he will have a better opportunity of learning anatomy than in the dissecting-room.

This article focuses on the future of higher education. The future of higher education will be determined by a range of factors such as money made available, access to a wider range of students, quality of teachers, government regulations, and quality control. Higher education is expanding at a rate which inevitably changes its character and its aims. Courses are often geared to vocational ends rather than to the disinterested pursuit of knowledge and the perfection of intellect. Even the language has shifted from that of a transaction between teacher and learner to one of providing a service to a client.

Focuses on the state of the educational system in Great Britain. Conception of educational planning at national and local level; Developments in educational studies; Improvements of the curriculum policy.

The article focuses on the history of education in Surrey, England. The Surrey county authority has taken advantage of the 1944 Education Act which permits local authorities, with the approval of the Minister, to make a provision for conducting or assisting the conduct of research as appears to the authority to be desirable for the purpose of improving the educational facilities provided for their area. For such advantages, a former Chief County Inspector made an association which has been exploring the possibility of making a comprehensive and well documented survey of the County's educational history. This association approved a preliminary master plan for the schools of the County that prepared many school biographies. These biographies focused on some topics like school's environment; school's origin and foundation; buildings and equipment; staff: their training, salary, etc.; pupils: age and sex distribution, attendance, attainments, health, dress, games and hobbies, holidays, employment; curriculum: textbooks, methods of instruction, discipline, inspection and other external influences and many more. The association has been surveying the study of the County's educational history against the wider background of historical studies generally.

The marketisation of education in England began in the 1980s. It was facilitated by national testing (which gave objective and comparable information to parents), and by the New Public Management (which introduced a posteriori funding and competition among providers). Now a new complementary phase of marketisation is being introduced: personalisation, whose intellectual provenance is in marketing theory. Conceptually, personalisation is imprecise; practically, at this stage, its intended effects within schools may amount to no more than a new legitimatory rhetoric which leaves pedagogy and the curriculum little changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals actively and continually construct the knowledge required for their working lives. Two outcomes arise from this constructive process: (i) individual change (i.e. learning) and (ii) the remaking of culturally-derived practices comprising work. These arise through a relational interdependence between the contributions and agency of the personal and the social. The relationship is interdependent because neither the social nor personal contributions alone are sufficient. The social experience is important for articulating and providing access to work performance requirements. However, personal factors such as individuals’ capacities, subjectivities and agency shape how workers interpret and engage with what they experience and, consequently, how they learn and remake practice throughout their working life. This case is elaborated through a discussion about learning with considerations of intersubjectivity, personal epistemologies, pedagogy and curriculum as experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We suggest that there is a need for those who seek to explore issues associated with the implementation of citizenship education in England to clarify its specific nature. This can be done, at least in part, through a process of comparison. To that end we review some of the connections and disjunctions between ‘character education’ and ‘citizenship education’. We argue, drawing from US and UK literature but focusing our attention on contexts and issues in England, that there are indeed some broad areas of overlap between these two fields. Citizens should be of ‘good’ character and the educational initiatives that we consider both emerge from a concern about current trends in society. However, we suggest that the overlaps with citizenship education principally apply when character education is drawn very broadly. When we examine a particular approach to character education that is often US-based, and titled as ‘citizenship’, we note many contrasts with citizenship education as formulated in the National Curriculum for England. We suggest that citizenship educators in England need to interpret claims about the similarity between these two fields with caution, or meanings that apply to both character education and citizenship education will be distorted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addresses the debate surrounding the issue of post-compulsory education systems in Great Britain. Features of the proposed unified system of post-compulsory education and training; Influence of the Howie Committee report on the debate about systems; Comparison between multi-track and unified systems of education; Implications of the debate on the educational system of the country.

Studies the policies governing teachers' work in Great Britain. Elements of the national curriculum; Ways by which the changing power relations of the curriculum affect teachers' work in the country; Impact of the introduction of market forces on the redefinition of teachers' work; Relationship between the control exercised over teachers by parental choice and competition.

The article explores and evaluates some related changes in the development of in-service education of teachers. The Great Britain Education Reform Act 1988 and the National Curriculum are discussed. Changes since 1983 are traced, noting the influence of in-service training upon the emerging character of both the Local Education Authority Training Grants Scheme and Educational Support Grants, and then the effect of harmonizing these two schemes under the umbrella of Grants for Educational Support and Training.

Focuses on several issues concerning the work of primary teachers in Great Britain. Implementation of a new national curriculum that changes the nature of teaching; Examination of the working hours of infant teachers in a week; Assessment of the working conditions of teachers; Increase in the tasks of primary teachers.

Focuses on the issues of adapting a national curriculum in history in Great Britain. Expression of strong public interest in history; Reactions of historians and teachers of history to the formulation of national curriculum; Impact of politics on the debate.

Lasting curriculum evolution is a slow process but it is continuous. Even at the level of the single institution, whole curriculum change is rarely obvious from one year to the next. The production cycle in schools begins in April/May for planning, is implemented in September 1990 and cannot be changed except in a dire emergency until the following year. There are acknowledged weaknesses in the system of education in the Great Britain. Science, technology and engineering have their share of them, though influential writers trace the causes of weakness far beyond education.

Focuses on the proposed unification of the regulation for post-primary schools in Great Britain. Foundation subjects of the national curriculum; Improvement in the educational standards; Professional life of teaching.

Focused on efforts aimed at harmonizing two national educational curriculums in Great Britain. Overview concerning Stalin's curriculum; Ten foundation subjects under Baker's curriculum; Role of political control in harmonizing both curricula.

Focuses on the link of the curriculum idea to the notion of a pedagogical juggernaut. Double methodology of the recent curriculum thinking. Overview of the current developments in schooling; Components of the philosophy course in the arts degree.

Focuses on the blueprint for the identification of good teaching. Focus on the curriculum in the selected schools. Existence of an "ideal state" of teaching; Link of teaching and educational quality.

Discusses the impact of Nuffield 'A' level Physics Project (NAP) on curriculum development in the U.S. and Great Britain. Details regarding the establishment of the project; Introduction of NAP draft materials to preliminary trial schools; Criticism faced by the project; Launch of the project.

Comments on the philosophical principles underlying the curriculum and the libertarian attitude towards education in Great Britain. Reasons for the differences in the educational recommendations made by those who employ the libertarian argument; Justifications of the compulsory curriculum courses; Implications of the disagreements about the nature of freedom for important educational and social consequences.

Discusses the rationale for an approach to initial professional training in the postgraduate certificate education (PGCE) course teachers in Great Britain. Basic considerations in decisions on course design; Characterization of the professionalism required of teachers; Practical principles for PGCE courses.

Examines the development of a social studies curriculum in a state education system in Australia. Changes in the curriculum development within the state education system; Accountability of the curriculum; Role of teachers in curriculum planning and implementation.

Outlines the main details of the Associated Examining Board's philosophy syllabus and considers the problem of teaching philosophy in schools in Great Britain. Composition of two parts in the syllabus that concentrate on the history of philosophy and other various philosophical themes; Choice given to students to select two themes from possible areas like Our Perception of the External World and Faith and the Existence of God; Possibility that naive philosophical amateurs would be given a license to indulge in an undisciplined search for a philosophy of life.

Analyzes the developmental and educative approach to vocational guidance. Relationship of school type to occupational level; System of institutional and curricular differentiation; Changes in conceptions about the form of careers guidance.

Focuses on the establishment of a single system of educational evaluation. Influence of the public examination system on the curriculum in secondary schools; Part of the objectives of education in schools; Balance in the documentary record about the students.