A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college

In this era of dynamism, where everything changes with the blink of an eye, it would be anachronistic to have an education system that sticks to age-old concepts and adheres to conventional teaching methods. However, when it comes to elementary education, there ought to be a standard that is implemented across the country and which neither claims to disrespect any cultural norms nor does it intend to enforce any belief on the learner. In other words, when a curriculum is designed keeping in mind the standards that have been set, the outcome will undoubtedly be learning that encapsulates the necessary elements to build a strong foundation for the future. Considering the fact that a child's brain is malleable, it becomes all the more necessary to decide what and what not to impart. But, at the same time, not being introduced to something vital that has roots in the tradition can send a wrong message to society. I, therefore, agree with the mentioned statement, but with some reservations.

Firstly, if uniform coursework is taught, it obviates the need to follow multiple sets of guidelines. For instance, in India, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, in association with the Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE), designs the content that is to be delivered in schools through various pedagogical techniques like classroom-teaching. Equal emphasis is laid on other educational initiatives like organizing seminars, workshops, guest lectures, and conducting educational trips. The CBSE drafts the syllabus for every subject after consultation with a panel of experts. These experts ensure the uniformity of the curriculum across schools in different parts of the nation. further, the teachers who are recruited to teach in all these schools are given the same kind of training to teach. As a result, there is hardly any discrepancy in what should be taught and what is actually taught. School pass-outs find themselves comfortable and confident of their attained knowledge; they emerge as individuals with a strong foundation of principles of subjects like science and mathematics.

However, there are downsides to effectuating a uniform curriculum ( an apparently national curriculum). To begin with, in a culturally diverse country like India, it is not possible to even think of such a structure, let alone implement it. For example, there are students who reside in cities where a large majority of the population converses in regional language; to add to the complexities, there are multiple dialects of the same regional language, too. So, it is unfair and impractical to not incorporate regional language into the curriculum.

In conclusion, while the onerous task of curating the syllabi according to regional preferences is obviated by following one standard curriculum, it comes at the cost of denying a learning exposure to some of the important aspects of life.