UNIVERSITY OF ESWATINI

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION AND MANAGEMENT

NAME: DLAMINI XOLANI

ID: 161940

PROGRAME: P. G. C. E

COURSE NAME: School and Society

COURSE CODE: EFM510

ACTIVITY: Assignment 3

DUE DATE: 23 October 2022

All curriculums share one goal that is to help students learn. No matter what
country or district your school is in, student outcomes start with a solid plan.
But a curriculum does much, much more than guide lessons in math, reading
and history. It can benefit schools just as much as students, from teachers to
administration. And it can help schools connect with parents and the
community around them. Not just any curriculum, though. A good curriculum.
The interest of this essay is to explain how curriculum matters influence
teaching and learning and society.

First and foremost, according to Bastrop, a curriculum both creates and

reflects culture and identity. On a broad level, a curriculum reflects the
national culture in which a school operate. Different countries have different
expectations of their students, even if teaching practices are similar. But it
can also reflect and define the culture at the school level as well, from the
specific needs of the neighborhoods they serve to the topics where you want
to differentiate yourself. This idea is supported by Lauton (1988) by defining
curriculum as a selection from the culture of a society. In order to make this
selection he suggested that we first analyze the kind of society that exists
and then make out the kind of knowledge and experiences that are more,
appropriate. This analysis should yield the trends of knowledge needed by
learners at various stages of their intellectual development. In Eswatini for
instance, the National Education Review Commission (NERCOM) (1985)
report that it was given a mandate to make the education system to inculcate
in Swazi children, a sense of pride and identification with their cultural
heritage. This was achieved through the introduction of the use of local
materials and local content in the curriculum. The National Curriculum Centre
(NCC) was established to produce instructional materials relevant to
Swaziland. In addition, the introduction of siSwati into the curriculum ensured
that the Swazi culture was entrenched in the education system. This means
that schools influence the cultures of the people and cultures affect and
shape the schools and the curriculum.

Secondly, Hyman stated that, the curriculum keeps up with a changing world
that takes place in the society and in schools. A good curriculum is never a
one-and-done initiative. Revisiting it regularly allows you to not only review
how things are going, but also make room for new topics that are relevant
today. In fact, the World Economic Forum touts curriculum as a key player in
helping educators keep up with the speed of changing trends, technology and
skills students will need in the future. This idea was supported by Langton by
stating that technology has resulted in major changes in the kinds of
knowledge that society want its children to be given. Technological change
leads to changes in the values and norms of a society and this will also
impact greatly on the curriculum. In the twenty first century it is expected that
our children be exposed to information and computer technology and be able
to navigate the world wide web in order to source out relevant information
and keep up with development throughout the world.

In addition, Burton added that, it is the issue of language. In Eswatini and

other countries introduced English Language in the curriculums for economic
function. Language is one means of cultural expression and cultural identity
of a particular group or society. The education system of any society has an
economic function. It is a national investment from which society is entitled
to expect some return and this return is in the form of the output of a
sufficient number of the youth who would have acquired the desired
knowledge and skills that society needed to maintain and extend its
development. The NERCOM Report (1985) pointed out that the general
economic conditions of the country played a key role in determining the
resources the nation could spare for the education of the young and training
of its labor force. Hence, policy decisions related to the development of
education would take into account the capacity of the economy to implement
such decisions. The report also acknowledged the foundations of
curriculum’ inadequacy of the school curriculum in catering to the economic
and main needs of the country as evidenced by the large numbers of young
people exiting the education sector which they unable to be absorbed into the
economy" be it the modem or traditional sectors. This situation holds true
today as evidenced the large numbers of high school and university
graduates who are unemployed.

Thirdly, the curriculum makes learning and teaching consistent. Internal

consistency happens when students inside a school can expect to walk away
with the same set of skills, whether their teacher is a veteran in the profession
or learning the ropes. Consistency should also stretch across a district, state
or province, or country as well. For instance, a student in fifth grade should
expect to graduate with the same foundational knowledge and skills, no
matter where they learn. This idea was supported by Lawton by stating that,
when we select from the culture of a society we select certain types of
knowledge, values and attitudes, that is worthwhile beneficial and useful to
teach the young and merits being transmitted to the next generation. This is
evident in the education offered in the Swaziland school system where a
deliberate effort was made to include and infuse Swazi culture into the
curriculum, (NIERCOM, 1985). In fact the ideological basis for this decision
can be found in the Imbokodvo National Movement documents (The
Irnbokodvo National Movement, 1972:27) whose policy states that "...all
education shall be designed to inculcate love for our land, loyalty to our king
and country, self-respect, self-discipline, respect for the law accompanied by
the highest degree of knowledge and the building of character.". This is one
indication that there was an inseparable relationship between education,
curriculum and national goals. Many countries in Africa, on acquiring
independence saw and used the school as an important instrument to fulfill
the achievement of their political aims and to foster particular attitudes and
values deemed necessary for national advancement and cultural identity.

In addition to the above mentioned, the curriculum opens the doors for
collaboration. Having regular discussions, the curriculum creates
opportunities to get all stakeholders involved: teachers, administration,
parents and communities. Getting input from everyone will help identify
where you’re strong and what gaps you need to address. It also gives
teachers a platform over which they can share best practices, knowledge and
resources with each other. For instance, technological change leads to
changes in the values and norms of a society and this will also impact greatly
on the curriculum. In the twenty first century it is expected that our children
be exposed to information and computer technology and be able to navigate
the world wide web in order to source out relevant information and keep up
with development throughout the world. As a result, teachers and parents we
will put their views as how they want tjeir children to be taught in schools
since there is the introduction of technology almost worldwide. For instance
in Eswatini, most urban schools have got tablets android phones which
parent pay for in order for the school principal to issue them to the learners to
use them while at home during online learning.

The curriculum influences teaching and learning through helping teachers

align teaching material according to the standard of living of the learners or
considering their way of living in the society. According to Bastrop, a good
curriculum also connects teachers from across grade levels and subject
areas to look at the big picture of student learning. Teachers can work
together to plan a progression of topics that build off of ones that came
before and connect across disciplines. His idea was supported by Burton by
stating that, the curriculum specializes in adopting procedures that promote
the likelihood that learners should find leaning relevant and enjoyable.
Learning of new materials and activities should be derived from positive
experiences each student has had. Materials and activities that bring about
negative feelings should be identified and modified to bring about positive
results. All curriculum people do, believe that the curriculum should be
organized so that students experience success in mastering the subject
matter. However, the behaviorists believe that mastery' of subject matter
occurs if leaners are given opportunities to practice what they have learned.
Learning is a passive process characterized by memorization where the only
requirement is for leaners to exhibit desired behavior overtly or in an
observable or measurable way. Also, behaviorists assert that masterly, of
subject matter occurs if leaners are given opportunity to practice what they
have learnt.

In conclusion, a school provides individuals with a sense of the continuity and

experience of their culture. Children are required to attend school in order to
be acculturated and socialized. The values, beliefs and norms of a society are
maintained and passed to the next generation by not only teaching about
them but also by embodying these elements of culture in the operation of the
education system. It is evident then that schools exist within a social context.
Schools influence the cultures of the people that the schools serve. The
cultures also affect and shape the schools and their curricula. In other words,
the school and the culture are mutually impacting systems. By extension,
curriculum and culture or society influence each other.
 References

Bastrop, G. (1985). Curriculum Development, textbook for students. London:

The Macmillan press Ltd.
Burton, w' (1962). The Guidance of Leaning activities; A Summary of
Principles of Teaching. Cliffs.
Hyman. R. (1973). (Ed'). Approaches in Curriculum. Englewood Clit N. J.:
Prentice- Hall.
Lawton. D. (1988). Curriculum Studies and Educational Planning: London:
Edrvard Arnold.