Usually when a syllabus is reviewed or redrafted / drafted the following factors are
considered;-
(i) The strengths and the weaknesses of the current syllabus in the attainment of
the new goals and objectives of education. The review or drafting / redrafting of
the syllabus is necessitated by the change in the Education Systems and in the
objectives (goals) of education. For instance, the adoption of the 8-4-4 system
necessitated the review and redrafting of the syllabuses to reflect the new goals
and objectives of education. The strengths of the old curriculum are weighed in
relations of the new goals and objectives. the essential aspects of the old
syllabus adopted/ injected into the new syllabus. Topics, which are considered
irrelevant to the new goals and objectives, are omitted. In this way, the strengths
and the weaknesses of the old syllabus provides the base of the change. New
additions (subject-matter or topics) are added to blend the strengths so as to
meet the goals and objectives of the new changes in education
(ii) The second considerations are the developmental goals or aims of the nation.
For instance, at independence, the development goals of Kenya were to eradicate
poverty, illiteracy and preventable diseases. Therefore, the Commerce and
Economics syllabus at that time laid emphasis on economic development.
Topics such as Co-operative Societies, Public Corporations, International Trade,
Money And Banking and other aids to trade, Office Equipment, Business Finance,
International Trade, among others were included in the syllabus of the subject of
Commerce. In Economics, topics such as National Income, Characteristics of
Developing Countries, Development and Underdevelopment, Agricultural
Development, Industrial Development, Population Growth and Development,
Employment and Unemployment, and International Trade amongst others were
included in the syllabus. Also the three East African countries were forging
together towards economic and political integration. Economic integration was
one of the topics in the 7:4:2:3 economics syllabus at forms five and six. This is
how selection of topics to be included are done on the basis of the development
goals and objectives of the nation.
(iii) The national goals of education are another consideration. In any country, there
are national goals of education. In the drafting of the syllabus, these goals are
considered. As much as possible, the syllabus should aim at the attainment of
these goals
(iv) The Economic status of the country. This has to do with the status of the
country in terms of economic development in comparison with other nations of
the world. For instance, Kenya is a developing country and therefore the syllabus
should reflect the development aspirations of the people. This is how the topics
such as Economic Development, population Growth and Development, Labour
and Employment, amongst others come into the syllabus. For instance, Kenya
grafted vision 2030 development agenda in 2002 in which it is envisaged that the
country will attain the middle income economic status by 2030. Therefore, thus
Economic Planning and Development should be considered in the syllabus of
Business Studies and notably Economics.
(v) The Global trends are also considered. Every economy of the world is
increasingly interdependent as a result of the phenomenon referred to as
globalization and also the advent of the information age. Man today cannot live in
isolation but must strive to be relevant in a globally-knitted society. The
information and communication technologies are exerting a lot of pressure on
mankind today. Therefore topics such as Information and Communication
Technologies, the World in Globalization process should also be included.
Business Studies syllabus must incorporate the latest technologies of
communication. (Such as e-commerce, e-procurement, e-banking, e-shopping,
etc. A student of Business Studies should be well- versed in the Information
Communication Technologies
(vi) The objectives of teaching Business Studies at the secondary school level should
be considered. As much as possible, the syllabus should meet these objectives.
At the secondary school level, the objectives of teaching Business Studies are
vocational training, citizenship training, intellectual training and preparation for
further studies. Such topics as Entrepreneurship, Government Involvement in
Business should come into the syllabus.
raphael answered the question on August 10, 2021 at 06:19