Curriculum and culture.docx

Notes on curriculum

1. RELATIONSHIP OF CURRICULUM WITH CULTURE
Culture and curriculum are related in many ways. Each of them evolves and changes over
time. It is obvious that educators must know about curriculum in order to know aspects of what
and how to teach. However, an understanding of the curriculum is necessary for teachers not
only to hold a firm grasp on the subject matter, but also to understand the reasoning behind its
creation and allow them to contribute to the evolutionary process of curriculum.
The relationship between culture and curriculum linked to ideology
Marsh and Willis point out that “curriculum sufficiently reflects a broad range of cultural,
political and economic characteristics.” All of these are related to culture and all of these
aspects vary to some degree across national borders. We see from Japan’s example that during
times of national strife, such as World War II, aspects of curriculum fall along the lines that
governments dictate they should.
Education is the process by which cultural heritage is transmitted from one generation to
another. In fact, it is the society's culture that forms the content of its educational programmes.

Culture is the content of education. Thus education has to draw its content from culture.
Education transmits culture through formal and informal curriculum. Formal curriculum
comprises of the various subjects taught such as languages, mathematics, physical sciences,
biological sciences, social sciences, technical subjects and Religious studies.

For culture to be transmitted, it must have content. The values that the school transmits can be
seen as the culture of the society. It is culture that forms the content of education.
In promoting culture therefore, the school curriculum through the various subjects promotes
and enhances the learning of culture. The subjects taught transmit certain values:

- Society must provide its members with the tools of communication language become crucial
for education. Society must teach its members skills and knowledge related to material culture.
Disciplines like agricultural science, natural sciences, vocational education are taught in schools.
- Aesthetic values are taught through arts, music among others.
Spiritual or moral education is taught through religion and by precept.
Members of the society learn about their environment by studying geography and natural
sciences.
Individual learn how to live in society through study of history, sociology, anthropology,
government procedures and laws, political science and others.

Society, culture and education are strictly interrelated and each one is necessary for the
continued existence of the others. Society has the responsibility of producingand preparing its
members well to keep the society going. To do this, it expresses its culture and teaches it. In
this way, transmitting culture becomes education itself, as education is not possible without a
living culture and society.

Prof. A. R. Somroo