Curriculum criticism, an alternative to traditional modes of educational inquiry, encourages researchers and evaluators to respect the unique and non-replicable qualities of school training. It assumes an analogy between the curriculum (as lived-in experience) and a work of art (which offers an immediate experience to viewers). The curriculum critic serves as translator between the work and less informed viewers. Some limitations of the method are that it produces only a selective portrayal of educational situations, it presumes analogies between art critics and curriculum critics which may not always be justified, its role may be less welcome in education than in the arts, and it invites charges of elitism which reduce its appeal in many circles. These limitations, however, are no more severe than those of other forms of educational inquiry. Part of the task of adherents to curriculum criticism is to establish their credibility among various publics and to produce enough examples of criticism that its utility can be fairly assessed. (Author/KC)