Social Context: Post #1

What is the Schools Hidden Curriculum Teaching your Child?
By: Ruby Ausbrooks, Ed. D. (Reprinted from www.parentingteens.com/curriculum.shtml)

In this article Ruby Ausbrooks defines and articulates what the hidden curriculum is within the school system. The article is brief and very easy to read and comprehend. Ausbrooks begins the article by introducing the reader to what she calls the “hidden Curriculum” noting that all schools have one, and that every student is affected by one.

Ausbrooks states that not all experiences linked to the hidden curriculum are inherently bad, she points out that depending on the school the hidden curriculum can either aid or hinder the students. Ausbrooks goes on to explain that the hidden curriculum is essentially the implicit messages that the school sends out, or as she puts it, the learning environment of the school. When the hidden curriculum is at its best, Ausbrooks states that the implications are very beneficial for the school community, promoting good self esteem, emotional growth, and the opportunity for new discovery and exploration.

Unfortunately the hidden curriculum all to often stifles the students rather than helping them. Ausbrooks gives many examples of this happening in many schools around the country, from gender stereotypes, to the intolerance that each student has a unique style of learning. Ausbrooks warns parents that every school is sending out a message, she also give parents clues as to how to figure out what these messages may be.

One of the practical ways to find out what a schools hidden curriculum may be is to simply see what is on display in the front foyer. What is the school honouring? What does the school see worthy to be shown for all to see? Is it student artwork? Is it a large obtrusive trophy case? Is it science fair awards? Is it the honours list? All of these, Ausbrooks states, will help parents identify what a particular schools hidden curriculum might be.

Ausbrooks concludes the article by first asking who is in charge at school, and then she leaves parents with a action plan that will hopefully help parents first of all become aware of the hidden curriculum and secondly help change the hidden curriculum for the better.

I think that this subject is a very important one to address and I believe that Ausbrooks has done a good job at bringing light to this potential problem. As an Art major I know what it is like to go to a school where the focus and the hidden curriculum is based on academics and athletics alone. I know what it can do to a student who in turn may feel that their field of discipline is not important or even valid.

I ended up leaving the school that I spent eleven years in because of this problem and finished my grade twelve year in a fine art school. This move had a huge impact on my life, not only in my future career choice, but because art was finally accepted as something important and integral to life, I finally fit in with other students and teachers who felt the same about art and respected it like I do.

I am glad that parents are encouraged to become more involved in the school, but I am not sure how much of a change that will make in the hidden curriculum. I believe that the teachers and the administration have a huge role to play in changing the learning environment. It is our job to inspire the students to recognize the importance of what they are doing whether it is academic, athletics, the fine arts or even community projects.

The change needs to come within, we have to stop accepting the way that things have always been and push for a change, a change where we accept all students where they are at, and accept all in school and extracurricular activity as equal. Only then will the hidden curriculum be one that encourages and accepts all students and creates an environment that fosters life long learning.