Can a school exist without a curriculum? Why or why not?

Question: Can a school exist without a curriculum? Why or why not?

School is a place or institution generally for teaching and learning purposes. It is a situation where one gains knowledge and sharpen own skills and abilities. Through this, experiences are made where one is disciplined and trained. It serves as a second home for us students which teaches us moral values and norms. In this kind of constitution, there is what we call a curriculum. As we all know, every school has its own curriculum that guides and helps not only students but also teachers in accomplishing goals.

Curriculum can be defined in two ways, the traditional and progressive way. In traditional way, curriculum is defined as a body of subjects or subject matter prepared by the teachers in a particular university for students to follow in order to learn. It is also considered as written documents or plan of actions that should be done to achieve and accomplish the goals that a school aims. According to Arthur Bestor, an essentialist, curriculum is an intellectual discipline of grammar, literature, and writing, math, science, history, and foreign language which is also considered as a course of study or subjects that should be taken up by students in a particular university. The word curriculum had gone through many definitions and processes as well. It has its own definition and meaning in traditional way and other definition in progressive way. In progressive way, curriculum not only talks about subjects or subject matter that should be taken up by students, it also viewed curriculum as the total learning experiences that an individual developed and learned. According to the point of view of Smith, Stanley and Shores, they viewed curriculum as a sequence of potential and learning experiences set up in the school for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in a way that will help them in improving their thinking and acting capabilities. It helps students to have confidence in school as well as develops good personality.

In the question “Can a school exist without a curriculum” makes us realize how important curriculum is. Curriculum can be compared to a backbone of human body while the school can be compared to the body itself. Without a backbone, the body would not work and cannot accomplish its duties to live. The body would become weak and die. The same with school and curriculum, these two words should come together in order for the one to work. Thinking of a school without a curriculum can lead to disaster. Without a curriculum, students would be confused what subjects do they need to take or where would they go, because, curriculum also serve as a plan of actions that is already fixed in accomplishing goals. Most importantly, a school would even die without a curriculum and students would have no chance to learn, gain more knowledge and experience new things. Without a curriculum, school life would be chaos because students and also teachers consider this as a guide which helps the school to have an organized plan of activities that should be done in that particular year. Depending on my own interpretations, I have come to realize that curriculum is what a school importantly needs.