A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position

The author asserts that all the students of a country should study the same national curriculum in school level. This proposal should be implemented only if the students are required to study the same curriculam in subjects related to Sciences, but in subjects such as History this might prove to be counter productive for the students.

A common curriculum ensures an equal level of knowledge among all the students when they enter college. The job of framing the curriculum of college level becomes easier in this case as they would have an idea of the knowledge likely to have attained by an average student before joining college. An uneven level of knowledge might results in having some students already exposed to the topics being taught in college while others might not even have the basic foundation required for it. Common curriculum can be applied particularly to Science stream subjects as they have common principles and theories which would not change from state to state.

Having a common curriculum also helps develop a wholistic view of the subjects as the syllabus is expected to have taken views from all spheres. It gives the students a broader outlook of the society and makes them more receptive to outside ideas. The students coming from a similar background are more likely to study together and by learning about the cultures and histories of people of their own nation staying in other states would help them develop a deep bonding with their nation and fellow citizens.

This curriculum, if not developed properly, can also lead to students having no knowledge about their own culture and history, turning a potential advantage of it to a disadvantage. Knowing about one's one history is very importent in building up his/her own identity. It also helps in preserving their cultural roots and carrying forward the ideals envisaged by their forefathers in taking the society forward. Having a cultural identity different from others gives rise to different ideas and outlook, which one may lose by studying a common curriculum, making a society full of similar minded people.

If there exists a bias in the minds of those preparing the common national curriculum, they may tend to favour some views over the others, considering some events and ideas more important than the other and overlooking the histories and cultures of some states. This might initiate the destruction of the cultural history of those states. Certain political ideologies may also be taught tacitly through this common curriculum which is not expected from it.

To sum up, a common curriculum is helpful only when it is prepared with a wholistic view in mind and which is free from all kinds of bias. This is possible in cases of Science subjects but in case of other subject like languages, history, it would be difficult to ensure an unbiased curriculum.