This book presents a new way for educators at all levels - from early years to university - to think about curriculum priorities. It focuses on the curriculum as a form of specialised knowledge, optimally designed to enable students to gain access to the best knowledge available in any field.

Section one: Setting the sceneChapter one: IntroductionChapter two: Truth and truthfulness in the sociology of educational knowledgeSection two: Knowledge and curriculum futuresChapter three: Education, globalization and the ‘voice of knowledge’Chapter four: Alternative education futures for a knowledge societyChapter five: Three educational scenarios for the future: lessons from the sociology of knowledge Chapter six: Curriculum and the question of knowledge: the legacy of Michael Gove and beyondChapter seven: The future of knowledge and skills in science and technology higher educationSection three: The idea of powerful knowledgeChapter eight: What are schools for?Chapter nine: On the powers of powerful knowledgeChapter ten: Overcoming the crisis in curriculum theoryChapter eleven: The promise and pathos of specialized knowledgeSection four: Universities, professions, and specialized knowledgeChapter twelve: The body of knowledgeChapter thirteen: Disciplines, skills and the universityChapter fourteen: Every picture tells a story: epistemological access and knowledge Chapter fifteen: Towards the sociology of professional knowledge