--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead of a national curriculum for…" description: "\"Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child\" — Charles Handy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png" --- # Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is… ![“Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child” quote by Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png) > “Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child” [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should be personalized, focusing on each child's unique abilities rather than a uniform national program. **In simple terms:** Tailor learning to each child. Key Takeaway Personalize education. Themes education individuality policy Mood inspirational optimistic Type educational policy When to use this quote - home schooling - classroom innovation - policy reform Key Concepts personalized learning child development curriculum design Questions to Reflect On - What would a child‑centered curriculum look like? - How can systems support individualized learning? A Different Perspective Uniform curricula may ignore diverse needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Curriculum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curriculum/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-reform/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) ## Related quotes > [I want enterprise and entrepreneurship embedded in the national curriculum and will continue to lobby government until it happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jones/i-want-enterprise-and-entrepreneurship-embedded-in-the-national/) [Peter Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jones/) > [Financial education needs to become a part of our national curriculum and scoring systems so that it's not just the rich kids that learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bach/financial-education-needs-to-become-a-part-of-our-national-curriculum/) [David Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bach/) > [I think that the Bible as literature should be a compulsory part of the national curriculum.. you can't understand English literature and culture without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-that-the-bible-as-literature-should-be-a-compulsory-part-of/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I am trying to get permaculture on to the national curriculum to teach children how to take care of their own health, rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bez/i-am-trying-to-get-permaculture-on-to-the-national-curriculum-to/) [Bez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bez/) > [Given the state of English schools in the 1970s, a national curriculum, Ofsted, regular testing, publication of performance results, have all helped to raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/given-the-state-of-english-schools-in-the-1970s-a-national-curriculum/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Home is the first school for us all, a school with no fixed curriculum, no quality control, no examinations, no teacher training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/home-is-the-first-school-for-us-all-a-school-with-no-fixed-curriculum/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Inna the school and the college and the institution. The curriculum that I get is European.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/capleton/inna-the-school-and-the-college-and-the-institution-the-curriculum/) [Capleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/capleton/) > [Without music in schools' curriculum, there is a void for young people to express, explore, and experience music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/without-music-in-schools-curriculum-there-is-a-void-for-young-people/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I think my deepest criticism of the educational system . . . is that it's all based upon a distrust of the student. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/i-think-my-deepest-criticism-of-the-educational-system-is-that-it-s/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [I would argue that the charter schools are really good at building programming and curriculum around the issues and the interests of the kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/i-would-argue-that-the-charter-schools-are-really-good-at-building/) [Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/) > [In some suburban schools, the curriculum is chock-full of rigorous A.P. courses and the parking lot glitters with pricey SUVs, but one doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/in-some-suburban-schools-the-curriculum-is-chock-full-of-rigorous-a-p/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [A strong accountability system needs to broaden, not narrow, the curriculum. That cannot happen if you only have accountability without adequate school funding. Until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gelber/a-strong-accountability-system-needs-to-broaden-not-narrow-the/) [Dan Gelber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gelber/) > [The school curriculum today, particularly American history, is a shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-school-curriculum-today-particularly-american-history-is-a-shame/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-unfortunate-yet-truly-exciting-thing-about-your-life-is-that/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) ## More by Charles Handy > [The sobering thought is that individuals and societies are not, in the end, remembered for how they made their money, but for how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/the-sobering-thought-is-that-individuals-and-societies-are-not-in-the/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Passion is born of vague hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/passion-is-born-of-vague-hopes/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [To learn anything other than the stuff you find in books, you need to be able to experiment, to make mistakes, to accept feedback,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/to-learn-anything-other-than-the-stuff-you-find-in-books-you-need-to/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Life can only be understood backwards but you have to live it forward. You can only do that by stepping into uncertainty and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/life-can-only-be-understood-backwards-but-you-have-to-live-it-forward/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Change is only another word for growth, another synonym for learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/change-is-only-another-word-for-growth-another-synonym-for-learning/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Purpose, pattern, and people, the three P's at the heart of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/purpose-pattern-and-people-the-three-p-s-at-the-heart-of-life/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [We need to have faith in the future to make sense of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/we-need-to-have-faith-in-the-future-to-make-sense-of-the-present/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [In a knowledge economy, a good business is a community with a purpose, not a piece of property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/in-a-knowledge-economy-a-good-business-is-a-community-with-a-purpose/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [We should see schools as safe arenas for experimenting with life, for discovering our talents... for taking responsibity for tasks and others people, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/we-should-see-schools-as-safe-arenas-for-experimenting-with-life-for/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Competition is healthy ... but there is more to life than winning or we should nearly all be losers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/competition-is-healthy-but-there-is-more-to-life-than-winning-or-we/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [We cannot wait for great visions from great people, for they are in short supply. It is up to us to light our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/we-cannot-wait-for-great-visions-from-great-people-for-they-are-in/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [Home is the first school for us all, a school with no fixed curriculum, no quality control, no examinations, no teacher training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/home-is-the-first-school-for-us-all-a-school-with-no-fixed-curriculum/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [The companies that survive longest are the one's that work out what they uniquely can give to the world-not just growth or money but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/the-companies-that-survive-longest-are-the-one-s-that-work-out-what/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [The best learning happens in real life with real problems and real people and not in classrooms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/the-best-learning-happens-in-real-life-with-real-problems-and-real/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) > [A leader shapes and shares a vision, which gives point to the work of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/a-leader-shapes-and-shares-a-vision-which-gives-point-to-the-work-of/) [Charles Handy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) [Explore all 46 Charles Handy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Handy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-education-what-is-really-needed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-education-what-is-really-needed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/charles-handy-14423_children_instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-edu_1431003.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every…” — Charles Handy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Handy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-handy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Instead of a national curriculum for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-education-what-is-really-needed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-handy/instead-of-a-national-curriculum-for-education-what-is-really-needed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```