Curriculum Matters in Ireland
By Anton Trant
Published by Blackhall Publishing
Price €27.50

This book takes the core of any educational system – the curriculum – and analyses it in the context of western thought from ancient times to the present, with particular reference to Irish education since the foundation of the state.

Ireland's educational system is currently influenced by marketplace values that go largely unquestioned. Curriculum Matters in Ireland analyses the negative impact of this examination and results oriented approach, and points to alternative value traditions in education through the ages.

The author discusses the essential elements of curriculum, and the teacher's central role in interpreting and communicating these. Curriculum in action is explored through the themes of disadvantage in education, saving the environment, and peace and reconciliation.

Drawing on his experiences as a teacher in Ireland and abroad, as principal of a vocational school in Dublin and as a founding director of the Curriculum Development Unit, the author brings practical knowledge and years of research to his vision of what a curriculum should encompass, and how it can be implemented to bring out the best in individuals and in society as a whole.