Centralized Goal Formation,Citizenship,and Educational Pluralism: Accountability in Liberal Democratic Societies

Abstract

This article asks whether centralized goal formation of the sort involved in Goals 2000 or in the development of state curriculum standards is consistent with pluralism reasonably conceived. It argues that an educational system that is consistent with pluralism reasonably conceived must (a) provide or allow every culture fair and adequate time and resources for the reproduction of its distinctive or distinguishing values; (b) provide adequate time and resources for the reproduction of the society's public values, especially citizenship; and (c) provide adequate time and resources for members of different cultures to learn from and about one another It concludes that curriculum encompassing standards and accountability mechanisms that make schools fully accountable to the state are inconsistent with pluralism and argues for flexible standards and accountability that are more narrowly focused on the state's central interests in education, but that permit significant local variation.

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