What Makes a Good Curriculum?

The educational system, and schools in particular have a responsibility to individual children and the society at large to prepare future ready learners for the world.

This is why a standards based curriculum is very important – All good curricula are based on certain requirements and standards usually outlined  by a controlling body. So what are the characteristics of a good curriculum? Let’s quickly take a look:

10 characteristics of a good curriculum

1. Stand.org puts it best: At the heart of a high quality curriculum is the premise that all students are able to learn and are capable of being successful. In effect, a standard curriculum is built on high expectations and should be rigorous to undertake.
2. Because the curriculum prepares learners for life in the society, a curriculum obviously should be dynamic and evolve regularly to meet the needs of learners as well as the society. –
3. A curriculum should gradually build the learning experience. This means that it should allow for continuity of experiences as the learner progresses and grows.
4. Every curriculum should meet the needs of individual learners – whether it’s for private or public schools, every student’s needs should be considered while choosing a curriculum.
5. Because it caters to a wide variety of people, a good curriculum should be developed democratically. This means educators representing all grade levels and disciplines should be included in order to achieve cohesiveness that targets the success of every child.
6. Every aspect of the curriculum should  have a clear objective or end goal to achieve.
7. A good curriculum is not rigid- it allows room for flexibility, monitoring and evaluation by administration.
8. It should provide sufficient scope for the cultivation of unique skills, interest, attitudes and appreciations.
9. It should be psychologically sound. It should take into account the theories of learning relevant to the fields of study. As such, a broad range of possible learning styles must also be considered.
10. Lastly, a Curriculum should be responsible for personality development of the learners.

What other trait do you think must be  required in a good curriculum?

From FlexiSAF Edusoft blog