The National curriculum needs to be seen first of all, within its national political context. The industrial trainers, represented by the Prime Minister Mrs. Thatcher, have been in power in Britain since 1979, in alliance with others of the political right. The ideology of this group includes a strictly hierarchical view of society, a moral vision demanding strict authoritarian regulation of the individual, coupled with a social philosophy based on the metaphor of the market place and’ consumer choice’. A key element underpinning this ideology is self-interest. The group represents upwardly mobile elements of society, the petit bourgeoisie, small and self-made business people, and ultimately, the nouveaux riches. This is expressed in policies which redistribute wealth upwards, rewarding the upwardly mobile in society.