Abstract
This article critically examines the relationship between recent educational policy and the advancement of second-level subject hierarchies in Ireland. The paradox of promoting an individual subject by means of the matriculation system, while also calling for a broad and balanced curriculum, is questioned. The apparent retreat from a commitment to comprehensive education is discussed with respect to a neo-liberal agenda in education and a modernist-vocational ideology of curriculum development. The article concludes with a discussion on the place of subject-based curricula and a call for more balanced debate around educational policy, which may result in the promotion of subject boundaries.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 721-739 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Educational Policy |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2016 |
Keywords
- comprehensive curriculum
- educational policy
- subject boundaries
- subject hierarchy