An enterprising approach to democratising the curriculum: reflections on a Scottish experience

Recently, some educationists in the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia have claimed that the vocational aspect of education, as exemplified by TVEI initiatives such as Enterprise Learning can provide a means by which to democratise the curriculum. This article reflects on the experience of the Borders Enterprise Initiative and argues that there is some justification for this claim. First of all, the roots of this curricular initiative are explored and they are found to come from three main sources namely, (a) reflective classroom practice, (b) enterprise mini-companies as promoted by TVEI, and (c) social and vocational skills as fashioned by the Scottish Standard Grade course. Secondly, the enterprising approach fashioned by the fusion of these three roots is examined in the themes of curriculum change, pedagogic practice and theory, and approaches to teaching and learning. Finally, this enterprising approach to the curriculum is set within the context of a democratic approach to educational practice.