What makes a quality curriculum?
Most countries want to have a modern, high-quality curriculum, and also want to maximise the potential of curriculum for enhancing the overall quality of education and its relevance for student and societal needs. For this purpose, they develop quality criteria for the curriculum that are turned into main principles of developing their curriculum. Quality criteria may target aspects such as:
- Are their clear aims for the curriculum?
- Is the curriculum up-to-date?
- Is it relevant to students’ current and future lives, experiences, environments and aspirations?
- Does it create a socially and economically prosperous future while respecting the country’s past – its cultural history and traditions?
- Is the curriculum equitable and inclusive? (i.e. does it take into account the diversity of learners and the different learner needs; does it cater for marginalized groups; does it avoid biases)
- Is the curriculum learner-centred and learner-friendly? (i.e. does it take learner needs into account; does it avoid biases and discrimination; is it well sequenced with regard to the learners’ age; does it contribute to personal development and life skills; does it make sense –is it meaningful for learners; does it avoid overloading learners)
- Is the curriculum open and flexible, so that it can address new challenges & opportunities by integrating new/emerging issues?
- Is the curriculum coherent and consistent across different education stages/grades/streams and learning areas/subjects?