Curriculum Policy-Making at the School Level: two approaches

The main burden of this paper is to point up what are considered to be serious shortcomings in Barrow's 1] argument that the 'philosophically competent' head should control a school's curriculum policy. At the same time, whilst exigencies of space prohibit a comprehensive defence of 'participatory decision-making' and its pertinence for schools 2], it will be argued that curriculum policy is best controlled by governing bodies of the type proposed by the Taylor Committee 3], given, of course, that such bodies must operate within a framework of national and local authority policy.