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unnecessary binary and at times stifling productive debate. One reason for this, particularly in
the case of teachers, is because those who support the curriculum generally, but may have
reservations about parts of it, are not confident to voice these opinions, in case they are
misinterpreted or their comments misused by those who are vocal in their disagreement with
the underpinning and explicit values, processes and so forth of the SOSE syllabus and
curriculum. Whilst public debate and interest in the school curriculum and other aspects of
schooling is in itself a healthy sign of a strong democracy, they become unhealthy when they
are debated in such binary ways, as has been illustrated throughout this overview. Having the
general public (including parents) interested in school curriculum can potentially contribute
to an enriched curriculum, and one that people otherwise disconnected from school
curriculum decision making can feel a part. On the topic of the polarisation caused by the
history/culture wars, Australian novelist Tom Keneally states of the created binary, “you have
to choose celebration or lamentation, triumphalism or black grief, but it’s possible for it to be
two things at once” (Hope, 2006, p. 27).
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