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curriculum. The former rather than the latter would create transformational possibilities
such as those that are inherent in the Reggio Emilia preschools. The latter requires a
mandated curriculum developed by an expert culture.
The integral and consultive curriculum, originally developed in Norway, stands in
direct contrast to a view of education as imparting a specific body of knowledge
(Bennett, 2000). The curriculum is considered integral to the child, as it stresses multiple
aspects of the child’s development and follows the interest of the child to naturally
integrate reading, writing, counting and scientific theory. The Nordic curriculum is
considered consultative as it is based on broad national consultations about children and
their place in society. Consultation does not end on the national level as it also extends to
the municipalities and preschools (Bennett, 2000). The OECD team that visited the
Nordic child care programs were “impressed by the involvement and contentment of the
children,” including “their spontaneity, their concentration and the quality of their work”
(p. 4).
In France, the curriculum is characterized as expert and competency driven,
derived from its preschool rather than its Froebel kindergarten tradition. Every child
should master basic competencies which are a directive of the Ministry of Education.
While common standards may be cost effective and produce pedagogical continuity, the
disadvantage to this non-consultative framework is the risk that the values and practices
of school authorities will not be supported by parents and teachers. Another strong
disadvantage of the expert-based curricula of France is the tendency for teachers to
employ a didactic approach (Bennett, 2000).