Aspects/Attributes of the Curriculum

They are curriculum policy, hidden curriculum, formal or written curriculum, taught
curriculum, learned curriculum, tested curriculum, core curriculum and co-curriculum.

Curriculum policy - Curriculum policy can be defined as the set of rules and guide lines that
are established in a school system to control curriculum development activities. Curriculum
policies are for the entire curriculum and also for specific subjects or areas of the curriculum.
This include statements requiring French and English to be taught in all schools; the study of
economics to begin after the first two or three are of secondary school; science to be taught in
relation to the technological development needs of the country; the rural school curriculum to
be developed in accordance with the realities of the whole environment, can be regarded as
statements of curriculum policy.

Core curriculum - It refers to the part of the curriculum required of or common to all learners
in a school. Or. It is the set of basic & essential learning which is expected of all students to
undertake at any particular level

Co-curriculum - It consist of activities that takes place outside the four walls of a classroom
such as games, sports, club activities, excursions and field trips etc.

Formal/Written Curriculum - This is the documented aspect of the curriculum. It consists of

all learning opportunities that are stated in curriculum documents which are used in schools
such as Curriculum guides, syllabuses, scheme of work, record books, teaching materials,
recommended textbooks, timetables, teachers’ guides, etc. They are used in the implementation
process of curriculum policies.

Taught Curriculum - Teachers sometimes do not teach all that is spelt out in the formal
curriculum documents. What the teacher actually teaches is what is referred to as the taught
curriculum.

Learned Curriculum – This is what the learner takes along from the teaching/learning
situation. It is the actual learning that has taken place in the learner. It is sometimes referred to
as the bottom-line curriculum

Tested Curriculum - This comprises of all the test and examination that learners take part in.
It is also known as the measured curriculum. E.g. G.C.E, BAC, FLSC, CAP etc. It has so much
influence on the other aspects of the curriculum and tends to even control the written
curriculum especially when teachers focus on it to the detriment of the syllabuses and schemes
of work.

The hidden Curriculum: The terms “hidden”, “invisible”, “implicit”, “unintended”, “latent”,
are used to describe that part of the school curriculum that is not intended or planned and
therefore tends to be ignored by the school, though it plays an important role in the development
of learners’ values, character, attitude to learning and general behaviour in school. The hidden
curriculum occurs in relation to how the school is organized as a social institution. This
organization enables the learners to learn certain things that are neither prescribed on the time-
table nor formally taught by the teachers. For example; Learners, learn many things just by
observing the way teachers dress, communicate with each other and relate to their duties. They
also learn many things from their class mates and age groups as they go to and from school or
play during break periods.