This speech calls attention to some recent judicial developments relative to the public school curriculum (curriculum being defined to encompass all experiences provided for public school students under the aegis of public school authorities). Curricular elements, be they whole courses or single words, may be analyzed legally in terms of whether they are required of all students or are optional. Required curricular elements are much more vulnerable judicially than those offered on an elective basis, for the right of withdrawal can eliminate the need for eradicating a curricular element. The cases reviewed center on issues such as sex education, treatment of the origins of mankind, textbook selection, and library book selection. (Author/IRT)