Thestatementaboveconcealsintestingconnotationsfarabovecurriculumdevelopment.Issuesofclassroomcontrolanddevelopmentofscholarlytalentsareatstake,notsimplyadebateoverwhichbooksareacceptableoroverrevisionisthistories.
Thestatementitselfisabitmisleadinginthatinmyexperience,studentcontrolovercurriculumhardlyexisted.Eachyear,therewerecertaincourseofferingsmadeavailable,andstudentsweretochoosefromthoseofferings,ofcoursebearinginmindrequirementsforgraduationsetforthbytheadministration.Onaclassroomlevel,theimmediate,initialmaterialmayhavebeensomewhatdirectedbythestudents,butthiswasapartoftheprocessallowedbytheteacher/professorinordertogaintheinterestandattentionofthestudents.However,toomuchofanyonethingbecomesproblematic;lettingstudentssetthecurriculum,aswithlettingstudentschooseanddesigntheirownmajorincollege,servesultimatelytodilutethequalityoftheeducationalexperienceunlessasingleadvisorcandevotesignificantamountsoftimetotheindividualstudent.Thisamountoftime,oreventheexpensetothestudentofthisindividualattention,seemtoindicatethatresourceswouldbebetterallocatedelsewhere.
Ofcourse,anyschoolinwhichthestudentsdecide"whatgoes"isboundtohaveproblemscontrollingstudents.Oncetheeducators,betheyadministratorsorteachers,areunderthecontrolofstudents,evenademocraticsituationwouldbelikeholdingroyaltyacountabletothemob.Presently,studentshearforhoursthatthey...