1. Exploring the Hidden Curriculum
In 1976, the American Marxist Sociologists ‘Bowles and Gintis’ described how schools played
a key role in ‘conditioning’ students into the attitudes, values and routines that would make
them easily exploitable and hard-working when they left school. They called this the hidden
curriculum – a kind of hidden education that benefited the dominant class in society. This
was probably more important than the formal curriculum of taught subjects.
In this activity, we will explore what the hidden curriculum, how this performed and how it
benefits the dominant class in society.
Activity 1 – The ideal worker
What do you think are the ‘desirable’ qualities of
a ‘worker’ in capitalist society?
Norms (how they behave)
Values (their attitude)
Chris Deakin 2012

2. Activity 2 – How schools help to produce these behaviours and
attitudes in the working class
Study the following things that occur within schools and consider what they are ‘actually’
teaching young people AND how this links to the world of work.
What happens in school What they are ‘actually’ How this is beneficial to the
(features of the hidden teaching young people. dominant class/capitalist
curriculum) economy
School assemblies
School rules –
rewards/punishments
Boys and girls doing
different subjects
Competition in school
Respecting the authority
of teachers
Punctuality to lessons
Value placed on hard
work
Complete boring tasks
Grading by ability
Being placed in
sets/bands
Students have no
control over lessons,
timetable etc
Schools are hierarchies
and students know their
place in them
Activity 3– Can you think of any problems with this theory?
Is it still relevant? Is society the same/economy the same?
How would other perspectives view this?
Is the hidden curriculum so hidden now?
How do capitalists control what happens in schools? Can they?
Chris Deakin 2012

3. Activity 4 – Bring it together
Write a paragraph on the hidden curriculum, include:
An intro sentence/signpost which briefly defines what the hidden curriculum is and
the idea it is a source of ideological condition and benefits capitalism.
Take at least 4 features of school and write a sentence on each (using the chart to
guide your sentences, ie) explain what they are teaching and how they help
capitalism.
A concluding sentence or two on potential problems/evaluation points against the
idea of a hidden curriculum.
Chris Deakin 2012