Is there an ideal curriculum?
To begin with, curriculum may be defined in the simplest way as ‘what, why & how’ students should learn. Subsequently, the objective of any curriculum is to ensure that students gain the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to be successful in their lives. In other words, a robust curriculum ought to focus on the whole student, making him/her independent and self-aware, so that he is ready for studies, careers of the future and to affect positive social change.
Learning in schools follows two paths: the intended, planned formal curriculum which often goes under several rounds of scrutiny and is meticulously delivered in controlled environments like the classroom; and the un-intended, informal hidden curriculum that is delivered unawares, across a campus, however, rarely receives any attention. In recent years, there has been a great impetus in developing 21st century skills through a holistic schooling experience, which isn’t confined to instruction in the classroom. The expected skills, values and attitudes are developed not only in the classroom, but through every experience in and around the school, that the learner is exposed to.
A learner centered curriculum definitely is highly recommended in terms of an ideal curriculum these days. However, the idea of learner centeredness is very often understood in a limited way, with schools focusing overtly on classroom teaching-learning practices alone. The thrust must be on valuing every child as an individual and grooming him/her to do their best in alignment with their potential and learning style. Hence, establishing inclusive teaching practices is one of the greatest challenges faced by schools. With an overwhelming number of students in class, as well as the failure to train teachers to implement inclusivity in its true sense, schools manage nothing more than an eye-wash in the name of inclusive education. Effective differentiation will remain a distant dream if schools continue to operate in the interest of profit margins alone. Manageable teacher-student ratio and focused teacher training will help achieve goals in inclusive education.
Educators today must at all times be reminded that the 21st century has ushered in an era of uncertainty and constant change. The revolution in the field of digital technology is throwing new challenges at us all the time. Hence, we must shrug off the garb of conventionality and show great flexibility in experimenting and understanding to adapt, to new ways of thinking and doing things. Contemporary curriculum ought to be forward looking; must be adept at developing multiple competencies in learners and truly prepare them for an overwhelmingly automated future.
The curriculum must provide for as many authentic learning experiences as possible. It must veer away from fragmented knowledge dissemination, targeted at acing standardized tests. Learners must be made to take ownership for their learning by shifting the focus from the teacher to the student. Let’s recognize the curriculum beyond texts and reading material. Let’s expose our learners to life skill training, journeys of self-discovery and self- awareness, conflict resolution, financial literacy, decision making etc. Let’s instill confidence in our learners about interesting possibilities to monetise their passion by turning it into a career. Let’s redesign our curricula by embracing the needs of every learner and aiming to endow him/her with the confidence and the ability to face the world after school.