Consequences of neoliberal traits in curriculum design; English influences and the implementation of moral education in schools in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

ABSTRACT Testing explanations of ‘neoliberalism in education’, this article explores whether neoliberal policy facilitates curricula that include moral development for the ‘common good’, or whether unintended consequences actually eviscerate the very nature of moral education. England’s contribution to curriculum design in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set planning within broadly accepted ‘market’ philosophies drawn from the ‘reforms’ of the 1980s. Reactionary implementation of moral education as an additional separate, statutory and tested subject into an already crowded curriculum in the UAE raises questions over authenticity, relevance and quality. The global economic and diplomatic influence of the UAE is high and rising, with similar trends for other economies in the region. However, as elsewhere, issues about inclusivity, equality, diversity, identity and wellbeing are pressing curricula content, particularly around values in personal, social, moral, environmental and economic responsibility, and ‘the historical record’. Building upon lessons in the authoritative account, Development of moral education in the UAE: lessons to be learned (Pring, R. 2018. “Development of Moral Education in the UAE: Lessons to Be Learned.” Oxford Review of Education. doi:10.1080/03054985.2018.1502169), the paper seeks reconciliation away from ranked performance measures and compartmentalised subject additions and towards greater cross-curricula integration, critical thinking and moral action.