A Critique on the Hierarchy of School Subjects : Beyond Epistemology

One of the main characteristics of contemporary educational systems is the enduring hierarchy of subjects, which favors abstract fields like physics and mathematics above practical and artistic courses. A strong philosophical basis is offered by Jennifer Bleazby's (2015) groundbreaking work, which contends that this hierarchy is the result of a Platonic "search for certainty" that values abstract, apparently universal knowledge over the tangible and physical. Bleazby (2015) contends that, despite the fundamental nature of this epistemological critique, it is not enough to account for the hierarchy's lasting power. A more thorough examination shows that the professional politics of subject communities, neoliberal economic imperatives, and socio-political systems of class reproduction are all intricately linked to and reinforce these epistemic presumptions. This paper argues that the curricular hierarchy is a dynamic and resilient structure that is essential to the perpetuation of social and economic inequality, rather than just a philosophical artifact, by analyzing these overlapping forces.