Towards a Better Future

Chapter Three: Curriculum
instruction into differentiated subject compartments serves only to throw the whole educational
function out of focus’, in the 1999 curriculum, the following statement appears (Department of
Education, 1999):
For the young child, the distinctions between subjects are not relevant: what is more
important is that he or she experiences a coherent learning process that
accommodates a variety of elements. It is important, therefore, to make connections
between learning in different subjects. As they mature, integration gives children’s
learning a broader and richer perspective, emphasises the interconnectedness of
knowledge and ideas and reinforces the learning process.
The curriculum document also states that:
The strands are not discrete areas of learning, as they overlap and interact to form
a holistic learning experience for the child. They will also assist teachers in
identifying possibilities for integrated learning within subjects and curriculum areas,
and throughout the curriculum as a whole. At the end of each curriculum statement,
the purposes of assessment are delineated, and several approaches and recommended
tools are explained.
The Teacher as Curriculum Developer and Planner
While the 1999 curriculum provided a clear and structured national framework, it built on the
recommendations relating to school-based planning in the 1971 curriculum. The 1999 curriculum
strengthened the flexibility for schools and teachers ‘to plan a programme appropriate to the
individual school’s circumstances and to the needs, aptitudes and interests of the children’. In planning
its programmes, schools were expected to adapt and interpret the curriculum to meet their own
unique requirements. The planning process is described as ‘involving a continuous cycle of
development’ and is stated to have ‘the potential to enhance pupil outcomes through focusing on
teaching and learning, monitoring progress, and enabling schools to build their capacity to manage
change’. As indicated above, extensive guidelines and support materials were provided both in print
and online for schools and teachers to enable them to engage in curriculum planning and
development.
While the 1999 curriculum documentation was impressive and was generally welcomed by the
education partners, in practice the effectiveness of its implementation varied, as had been the case
with the 1971 curriculum (NCCA, 2005). This finding should not have been unexpected in the case
of a curriculum that allows flexibility for teachers and schools in planning, development and
implementation.
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