Education is an orderly, society oriented and deliberate effort. So, some plan is needed to guide this effort. In this way, curriculum, generally, refers to this plan. This plan is indispensable for the acquisition of the objectives associated with curriculum. The scope of curriculum is broad and wide. It ranges from the individual needs to the global needs. It includes all those activities which help in obtaining the comprehensive objectives of education. The scope of curriculum can be explained by means of the following headings :-
National ideology :-
Curriculum is directly concerned with the ideology of a nation. All the aspects of curriculum are developed on the basis of national philosophy of a nation. The contents of curriculum correspond to the basic principles of the national ideology. It cannot maintain its existence without the guidance of national ideology. This is the only means of promoting the national ideology in the youths of a nation. All the components of national ideology are mirrored in the contents of curriculum. So, we may say that curriculum is a spokesman of national ideology.
Objectives of curriculum :-
Curriculum derives its objectives from the objectives of education. There is a close relationship between the objectives of curriculum and that of education. Curriculum does not decide its objectives by itself. It seeks
guidance from the objectives of education. Curriculum cannot part with the objectives of education. If the content of curriculum is not developed in line with the objectives of education, it would fail in securing its objectives. To summarize, curriculum, without the consideration of objectives of education, is mere a combination of information and skills which lead to the production of socially unproductive individuals.
Selection of content :-
Selection of content is also included in the scope of curriculum. The content gives a material form to the concept of curriculum. The a selection of content is a very sensitive activity. A curriculists should take into account many aspects of individual and social life. He/she must consider the mental, physical, social, economic and psychological needs of the students during the selection of content for a particular level of education. If the content of curriculum is compatible with the needs of the individuals and the society, it would succeed in securing all of its objectives.
Curricular activities :-
The curriculists hold that the curricular activities include human learning experiences, observations, skills and other academic excellences. These activities help in developing the personality of the students in a comprehensive and
all-round way. These curricular activities belong to all aspects of human life. They range from earth to heaven and from an individual to the far end of the society. These activities are developed in line with the objectives of curriculum. If there is no co-ordination and integration among these activities, the objectives of instruction might have not been achieved. These activities are the soul of the whole process of education. In the circumstances, it requires that these activities should be in accordance with the social, cognitive, moral, and psychological needs of the students.
Co-curricular activities :-
The aim of education is the comprehensive personality of the individuals. Only the curricular activities cannot develop the personality of the individuals in a comprehensive way. The textbooks are not capable of developing the individuals personality in an all-round manner. For the balanced development of the personality of the students, the school should arrange the co-curricular activities along with the curricular activities. The, co-curricular activities include games, sports, athletics, student union, tutorial groups, literary society; subject society, scouting, Girl Guide and welfare organizations etc. These activities leave positive impression of the personality of the students and deepen their life experiences. These activities play a significant role in the development of moral and leadership abilities.
Methodology :-
When the content of curriculum is decided for instruction, it requires a method of instruction to transmit the content to the teacher. This method is selected keeping in view the nature of the content. A teacher should use the technique of teaching which corresponds to the psychological needs of the students and requirements of the content. If the element of methodology is eliminated from the process of curriculum, the transmission of the academic excellences to the students would have become impossible. This is the method of teaching which allows the content to be transmitted to the students. To me, methodology is a carrier which takes the content from the teacher to the student.
Communication :-
Communication is the essence of the process of curriculum. It is the process of transmission of information,. skills and other academic excellences from one place to another and from one mind to another. For the successful transmission of curriculum to the students, a teacher must have the ability of explicit communication. If the teacher has mastery in the skill of communication, he/she might have expressed him/herself in an effective way. Through education, we develop the ability of effective communication in the students. Curriculum is the only means which may develop this ability in the students.
Instructional aids :-
The instructional aids play a significant role in the transmission of content to the students effectively and successfully. The use of instructional aids is an important element of the process of curriculum. Instructional aids and effective teaching depend on each other. A teacher can effectively transmit the content to the students with the help of proper instructional aids. These aids make the lesson attractive, absorbing, interesting, result-oriented, and effective. Keeping in view the significance of the instructional aids in the instructional process, we may conclude that the scope of curriculum is bound to acknowledge the services of instructional aids.
Professional activities :-
Curriculum prepares the individuals to successfully adopt professions compatible with their potentials, training and aptitudes. For the acquisition of this aim of curriculum, the psychomotor activities are included in the curriculum so that the individuals may prepare themselves for - entering a profession of their livelihood. The professional training leads to the individual and national economic stability. In this regard, the scope of curriculum extends to the professional training of the individuals.
All-round development :-
Curriculum is directly concerned with the personality development and social stability. It opens new door to prosperous life. All the contents of curriculum target the comprehensive and all-round development of the individual's personality. This is the primary responsibility of curriculum and the foremost aim of education. There must be comprehensiveness, broadness and versatility in the contents of curriculum so that the objectives of curriculum may be realized. To me, personality development of the individual is the core subject of curriculum. That is why: curriculum should keep all the aspect of human personality in consideration.
Guidance :-
Curriculum, in fact, guides to the unknown and unseen ways of life it guides the students through all the aspects of life. This guidance may involve cognitive, physical, emotional, moral or spiritual aspect of human personality. And human personality development is the primary aim, of the process of curriculum. Man is confronted with many problems in life. Curriculum suggests solutions to these problems in a formal way. It trains the individuals for leading a successful life. So to say, the transmission of curriculum is the transmission guidance. To summarize, the process of curriculum is rightly the process of guidance as education is a process of guidance.
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