"We're Always An Afterthought" - Beyond A Curriculum For Most

Throughout developments in curriculum, in many instances has been to form and develop the curriculum for most learners in school education rather the diversity of all. 

In Scotland in the 21^st century this was challenged by a process formed among policy makers and a group of special educators and other support staff to formulate a curriculum for all being able to take account of the diversity among learners. 

This story tells of the process that contributed to moving from a curriculum that fits most to design a curriculum for all.  A story not yet told was how Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence sought to reverse the view of some learners as requiring separate special treatment rather than a holistic approach to planning learning in its totality.

Previous guidance. on the curriculum only took account of diversity of needs in a supplemental way. Practitioners at the time regarded this approach as if such settings were an afterthought. 

For instance the national guidelines for 5-14 Curriculum and Assessment for English language were not universal. They had identified “a few varieties of educational needs. It will require to be supplemented and is offered only to promote further discussion.”

Practitioners in special schools or involved in offering support for learning across Scotland viewed this supplementary approach as inadequate in terms of national guidance.   

Fast forward to the first decade of 21^st century and developing a new national curriculum subject to general public debate and aimed to address past inadequacies in an universal manner as a curriculum for all. There followed a collaboration at a national level between policy makers , school inspectors and practitioners from across a broad spectrum of special educators to avoid diversity as an afterthought.  

There followed a discussion of avoiding divergence in curriculum-making between a curriculum formed toward knowledge- based epistemological approach that lacked relevance for many learners. 

A counter view placed a weighting towards a curriculum focused on personal and social development drawing on aspects of individual’s self-development, understanding based on learning from their experiences. 

This personal narrative outlines the development of this story of policy-making, considers the role of key actors and highlights the approaches to curriculum policy making undertaken by this group in the development of Curriculum for Excellence. 

In 2017 the European Agency drew upon a project considering ways to raise the achievement of all through inclusive education amongst projects from Poland Italy and Scotland. The place of curriculum making aligned to personal development was noted in the project and its follow up work.  

This Ignite session recounts through a personal narrative ways that actors within policy, school inspection and among practitioners collaborate to contribute to a form of curriculum making that moves forward towards universal design in its conclusion influencing principles results and a national curricular framework and considering critical policy analysis

Highlighting the collaborative nature involved in successful curriculum-making; delineating key aspects to feature in the universal design as achieved within a new national curriculum; ensuring diversity is included in planning from the start; considering further ways to ensure developments in the curriculum for the diverse (population of learners); look at how the result can be considered through European policy influencers in the European Agency identify the successes and areas for development in a story of practical change practitioner-led.

Curriculum and Assessment in Scotland National Guidelines English Language 514 (Scottish Office Education Department) 1991 Curriculum for Excellence Building the Curriculum 3 a framework for learning and teaching: key ideas and priorities (The Scottish Government, Edinburgh, 2010 "Out of crisis the new future: Concluding thoughts on inclusive and equitable education for all with a view from Scotland" concluding chapter in Education in an Altered World (to be published 2023) Edited by M Proyer, W Veck, F Dovigo and E Seitinger (Bloomsbury) European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2017. Raising the Achievement of All Learners in Inclusive Education: Lessons from European Policy and Practice. (A. Kefallinou and V.J. Donnelly, eds.). Odense, Denmark European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2019. Raising the Achievement of All Learners in Inclusive Education: Follow-up Study. (D. Watt, V. J. Donnelly and A. Kefallinou, eds.). Odense, Denmark Public policies in Portuguese education Alves and Fernandez international Encyclopaedia of Education 4th Edition volume 9 Elsevier 2023 Promoting Diversity and Equality Developing Responsible Citizens for 21st Century Scotland (Education Scotland) 2013 Nancy Fraser Adding Insult to Injury: Nancy Fraser Debates Her Critics Verso (2008) Keddie Schooling and social justice through the lenses of Nancy Fraser Critical Studies in Education · October 2012 DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2012.709185 Teodor Mladenov Disability and social justice, Disability & Society, 31:9 (2016)