Who decides what constitutes "the best that has ever been thought and said"?

The Curriculum

"The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said, and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement." (NC, DfE, 2014)

Curriculum design is a fantastic opportunity for teachers and subject leaders to design interesting and relevant learning opportunities for their pupils. Effective curriculum design ensures that the sequence of learning is carefully considered to secure the incremental development of skills and knowledge over time, and toward a greater sophistication of understanding.

Whether the subject curriculum under design has some autonomy over content (e.g. Art and Design) or has predefined content that must be covered or selected from (e.g. RE, History), how the children are taught still remains the professional responsibility of the individuals in the school.

So, how do we select "the best" knowledge to prepare students to become "educated citizens"? And how is that knowledge represented - as the only narrative? How are the different perceptions and experiences of those events, practices, processes presented to the learners - are they accessing non-Eurocentric ideas and knowledge?

Coloniality and the Curriculum

The term 'coloniality' and discussions around 'decolonialising the curriculum' are becoming more mainstream. Questions are being raised by educators regarding who decides what constitutes "the best" knowledge? Who defines what a "great artist" is? Do we all share the same views of the "achievements and follies of mankind"?

The statement that there is a correct body of knowledge that will make children good citizens, clearly infers that there is a 'wrong' body of knowledge too. That there is knowledge that is valuable and knowledge which is not.

What does this mean for curriculum design? How are all children represented in the knowledge that has been selected or in how it is framed by the teachers' own values and beliefs? Are children being exposed to narratives that reinforce systems of oppression, marginalise minorities, and sustain stereotypes, or are they being provided with balanced experiences that provides illumination and challenge of those narratives? Are teachers and leaders aware of their own colonialised thoughts and where they unconsciously influence the curriculum?

This is a complex area of thinking, but a very important one that extends far beyond the curriculum. There are systems that reinforce the 'right' way and the 'wrong' way in all aspects of educational policy and beyond.

Engaging in informed and reflective discussion with others, identifying issues of coloniality and taking steps to 'decolonialise' these issues, are the best places to start.

Read on....

Walter Mignolo - The Darker Side of Modernity (external link)