What this means is that teachers have taken much of the responsibility for the way learning is organised under capitalism. The Schools Council - a State body with large NUT representation - has just put out a paper on The Whole Curriculum 13-16' that shows very well the intended role of teachers: Any curriculum embodies a selection of knowledge....But that selection is bound to reflect the interests of particular power groups in our society. We believe reconciliation between these groups will not be possible unless each....makes concessions as well as laying down claims.
This "reconciliation' is described as an educational covenant' -as a 'social compact! - to which teachers should commit themselves It is not just an attempt to gloss over class differences, but is part of an effort to involve classroom teachers in the organisation of the curriculum, based on a 'consensus' of values.
It would be comforting to think that a project like this would die a quick death under the hail of blows that teachers will receive from unemployment and the cuts. Unfortunately, however, it is based on a solid tradition of teachers' collaboration with the State.
The roots of this lie in the part that advisory committees, educational civil servants and administrators, and Local Education Authorities have played in persuading capitalist governments to expand education to take in the needs of "industry" for a better-trained, more "flexible' and adaptable workforce. This explains their support for more spending, comprehensives, and proCONCEDES LINE COHOL ivate working class children into