The national curriculum in England and Wales: A lesson in externally imposed reform?

This article is concerned with the development and implementation of the National Curriculum which war introduced into England and Wales by the 1988 Education Reform Act. The main argument of the article is that the National Curriculum is a classic example of externally imposed educational reform, and that the limited role played by teachers and educational professionals in its development led directly to many of its implementation problems. The article ends with some issues for future research and action.