Addressing cultural diversity in a Creole space: The SEMP language arts curriculum

Abstract

Proposals for curriculum reform under the Secondary Education Modernisation Programme (SEMP) call for a curriculum that respects diverse cultural experiences of students in Trinidad and Tobago, and that gives all students the opportunity to develop to their full potential, regardless of culture. This paper reports on an analysis of the curriculum proposed for a core subject in the proposed curriculum, Language Arts. The curriculum document was analysed, using qualitative content analysis techniques, to determine its orientation, as reflected in its approach to dealing with issues of cultural diversity. It was found that while the curriculum reflected an orientation to social relevance in dealing with other aspects of students' cultural experience, in addressing students' language experience, it remained largely traditional in its orientation. The paper discusses implications for teaching and learning Language Arts at the secondary level