PLURALITY OF EXPERIENCE

Secondary Education commission or mudhaliyaar commission (1952-53) defined curriculum as the ‘’sum total of all the experiences that the student gains from the institution.’ ‘This single definition comprehensively contains the essence of curriculum. The entire concept of curriculum, focused on the gist of ‘experience’.

                                  Experience is the crux of curriculum. The comprehensive term 'experience' itself contains the multidimensional aspects of curriculum. The aggregate experience that a student gains or perceives in a period of time, comprise the curriculum of the given institution.

The 'plurality' in experiences later on determine and shape the character and personality of students. These plurality of experiences can be taken from multidimensional sources including relationships, conversations, celebrations, activities and interactions. Each student in a classroom takes or perceives experiences differently with same inputs or experience. Also curriculum act as a aid to 'choose' experiences, which creates a platform to build life above it. Here the selection of experiences impart a key role in one’s life, which finally makes the difference among individuals and society.

                              Each experience has its own colour and shape. Each experience is unique and special. There are a number of factors which distinguish between students, including heredity environment, culture and cultural backdrop. All these factors contribute to a person. Depends on these diverse factors, experience form among students. This diversity itself is the nature of our own country and tradition. Curriculum should not restrict these diversity in experience, instead promote the multifariousness in experience.

Experiences should not restrict in a ' framed box structure’. It should expel out based on the needs , levels and nature of the student. The cognitive, affective, psycho motor domains should enrich with those experiences. These enrichment is the very basis of curriculum.it should able to satisfy the thirst of the student.

                         But there are certain practices exist in our country, which 'compartmentalize' these diverse experiences, and spoils the essence of the curriculum. How the curriculum can be compartmentalize? The rigid structure of syllabus, tightly packed time tables, and the exam oriented teaching. These factors itself change the attitude of teachers and students. The ''contour lines of Exam'' is a big hurdle, which limits the space and opportunity for experiences and enrichment. These compactness and compartmentalization finally creates a kind of chaos and confusion among students. Here the pluralities of experience face the main hindrance, which is totally against the definition put forward by the secondary education commission.

           Another important dimension of this definition is the limits of experience. Experiences can be within and outside the school .it can be positive and negative, planned or unplanned, directional or omnidirectional. These extremities in experiences are also the part of curriculum. This heterogeneity or diversity in experiences plays a key role in the curriculum construction and implementation. This fact should be analyse and re-examine by the stakeholders, teachers, educationalists etc. to frame the most apt curriculum.

                                      The term “institution” in the definition also reflects certain factors.an institution is the result of a wide range of factors, which reflects the physiological psychological and historical factors of the local area where the given institution situated. The institution in a particular area contains the geographical, psychological, cultural and sociological remnants. An institution should not alienate from these remnants. Each institution should create its own curriculum by considering these factors. Which again enrich the plurality in experience among the students who belongs to the particular area. All these domains should take for consideration while preparing a curriculum. Such kinds of sensitivity should be shown from the part of curriculum constructors and implementer to satisfy or meet the expectations of the students and society.

          Everyone who include in this process is a part of curriculum. Each experience in the process is special and unique. Let the plurality of experience to enrich the curriculum. Even though there can be divergence in the outcome, let the experience be colorful and multifarious in its own nature.....