Schools and their curricula

Abstract

Most readers will have some decided views about the meaning and function of 'schools', having spent many years attending one. They may be less familiar with the precise meaning of 'curriculum', a word which most people use interchangeably with 'syllabus'. This chapter aims to introduce readers to a qualified understanding of schools as institutions which aspire to fulfill society's ideals in education. Furthermore it interprets the curriculum as the instrument, made up of learning content and teaching methods, which schools employ to fulfill these ideals. In turn, deeper insight into the function of schools and the purpose of the curriculum should help readers to understand better the demands of the teaching profession, and consequently, its important role in the educational system.