The Saber-Tooth Curriculum, Classic Edition

Book excerpt: The 65th-anniversary edition of an educational classic proves its relevance in examining today's educational quandaries McGraw-Hill first published The Saber- Tooth Curriculum in 1939, and it has remained a classic bestseller to this date. The book is just as relevant and applicable to the key questions in education today as it was when it was first published. With tongue firmly in cheek, Peddiwell takes on the contradictions and confusion generated by conflicting philosophies of education, outlining the patterns and progression of education itself, from its origins at the dawn of time to its culmination in a ritualistic, deeply entrenched social institution with rigidly prescribed norms and procedures. This fascinating exploration is developed within a fanciful framework of fictional lectures, given by Professor J. Abner Peddiwell, doyen in the History of Education at Petaluma State College. In a humorous fable, Peddiwell illustrates the progress of education and give valuable insights into how it could continue to develop in the decades to come.