The politics of curriculum: a case study of the 6th and 7th form English syllabus

Abstract

This thesis examines the development of the 6th and 7th form English syllabus in New Zealand between the years 1986-1991. It discusses the extent to which that development is a case study of the political nature of the curriculum development process. Analysis of four draft syllabus documents together with interview material gathered from authors of those drafts, provides insights into the role played by language in the policy formation process. The relationship between the curriculum development process and the social and political context is examined and its significance documented. The effect of the context on curriculum development process and the shaping of the knowledge defined by that process is established. The development of the 6th and 7th form English syllabus coincided with a period of significant change in the state sector in New Zealand. The effect of those changes on the model of curriculum development provides an example of the inherently political nature of curriculum as a process and a text.