For the fifth blog post, having the chance to review and discuss my thoughts on the curriculum and the different political factors and policies, highlights the scale of actions required for the different parties involved. It can be challenging to navigate the different levels of bureaucracy with different positions having more control over others. With this power base comes the question of who decides what needs to be learned. The first reading, Curriculum policy and the politics of what should be learned in schools by Levin delves into how policies govern every aspect of education which directly relates to the curriculum (pg. 8). With this in mind, we need to acknowledge that every system and ministry has people with their own affiliations, biases, and interests meaning that certain actions could be based on personal values with limited consultation with educators. As well, government influences always impact the curriculum; as the curriculum is part of the politics of those in power. To counter this, strong voter interest drives the external pressure to please the public interest/ voter base. People’s views on education policy is based entirely on their own personal experiences. It can be observed in the past how government changes are subject to media influence and change. The way that curriculum changes are discussed in the media creates a political atmosphere that shows how education is so personal. A fundamental aspect of maintaining curriculum policies is by following the formal curriculum and continuing the creation and maintenance of relationships that are associated with “real teaching”.

The second article, The Saskatchewan Way: Professionally Led Curriculum Development, discusses the question of what the proper curriculum looks like, and how it is established in the classroom. Although we see that teacher input and control is minimized when establishing the outcomes that need to be met are being formed, for example in the K-12 Ontario Curriculum ( Saskatchewan Way pg. 1). In the Saskatchewan context, curriculum development should foster teacher ownership of the curriculum and its development through a collaborative nature ( The Saskatchewan Way pg.5). As well, curriculum development involves “teachers, trustees, administrators, university faculty, and other parties such as parents” (The Saskatchewan Way, pg. 5). Having this legacy of cooperation can continue to maintain everyone’s voice and will help ensure teachers have a direct connection to the curriculum.