The curriculum according to realism, becomes of a very wide nature. Quite naturally realism emphasises the selection of “right” subjects. But what are the “right” subjects? The right subject is that which gives the best educational result for a given pupil.
Hence in deciding the Rightness or suitability of a subject adequate attention must be paid to (a) the right pupils previous training, (b) inter-relationships between the parts of various subjects, and (c) the social demands for the pupils to be trained. Paying, attention to all these aspects would mean to prepare the pupil for a successful and happy living according to the realist style.
It indicates that according to the realist curriculum the pupil has to study a required number of subjects, because he has to meet certain social demands. Any subject, whether it pertains to the domain of sciences or arts, is not to be included in the curriculum for its own sake, but it will find a place in it because of its particular utility in the actual life situation of the pupil.
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Modern languages may find a place in the curriculum, because they enable one to read, write and conduct all types of social intercourse; but literature, as such, will find no prominent place because the realist believes that it is out of touch with the real line of human advance. Realist’s attitude towards such subjects as arts, painting, music and the like is the same as towards literature.
It is hardly necessary, to and here the realist’s contempt for subjects under the ‘sociological group’. The realist thinks that subjects under this group are hardly “scientific” and “objective”, and so they are prone to create particular biases in the pupil in the total disregard of the actualities of life. However, realism has great admiration for the various branches of science as the most profitable contents of the curriculum, because it is they who give to the pupil the requisite skills and knowledge for facing the actualities of self-situations in the world successfully.