A new edition of this book is available

`The book is written in a manner that is appropriate for most of the target audience and the reader is taken through the arguments in a considered, effective and coherent way. As Kelly so effectively points out, the previous and present governments do not appear to believe in education, but only control and training. Their's is a different mindset, and so this book will not speak to them. Its great strength is that it builds on the previous editions while arguing for change' - Goldsmiths Journal of Education

`The Fourth Edition of this comprehensive and in-depth guide to the curriculum re-asserts the values and principles put forward in previous editions.... This book will be a welcome addition to current educational debate and will be of particular interest to senior managers within schools and those involved with policy making from the highest level down' - Educational Review

In this extensively revised Fourth Edition, A V Kelly surveys the theory and practice of curriculum planning and development.

This comprehensive textbook provides an in-depth guide to understanding the curriculum covering: what it is; why it matters; how it has come to be; and the various conceptions of knowledge and learning on which it is based. The author believes that a social institution as important as education demands to be evaluated critically, beyond the often superficial justifications offered by those involved in creating and implementing educational policy.